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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25445440">My Husband But Not My Mate</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AynnieBunnie/pseuds/AynnieBunnie'>AynnieBunnie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>K-pop, NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Age Difference, Alpha Mark Lee (NCT), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Arranged Marriage, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Manipulation, Enemies to Lovers to Enemies, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Nakamoto Yuta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:20:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>31,155</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25445440</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AynnieBunnie/pseuds/AynnieBunnie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An arranged marriage forces Yuta and Mark together under the stress, pressure, and expectations of the court. When they first meet, nothing goes right, but maybe they'll have a happy ending...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mark Lee/Nakamoto Yuta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>253</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sighing, Yuta gripped onto the latch on the door to try and ground himself, the bumpy carriage ride sending him flying all over the place. The apple he'd had for breakfast wasn't helping, a painful cramp in his stomach forming and making him wince, and he began to wish he'd stayed home. <em> Well, it's not like I could, </em> he thought, bumping into one of his two bodyguards, Winwin, and quickly nodding an apology, <em> And now I've bumped into Winwin, great. My strange desire to cuddle is back. </em></p><p> </p><p>His heat had just ended and it made Yuta generally clingy and cuddly, even days after he might crawl up to Winwin or Taeil for a hug or cuddle session. As always, Winwin had helped him through his heat and, though it was a bit awkward to have been so needy in front of someone he sees everyday, he got over it. The only rules were no knotting, marking, or mating because that was reserved for his future husband and he should be as <em> pure </em> as possible. Originally, he was supposed to be completely pure, but after suffering through a couple heats by himself, he had yelled at his parents and told them it was plain ridiculous. They'd given in quite easily, an angry Yuta not something they wanted to deal with.</p><p> </p><p><em> Hopefully my husband wouldn't mind, </em> he rolled his eyes, another bump making him give up on being proper and just cling to Winwin for dear life, <em> It's stupid that I have to be pure just because I'm an omega, but he can stick his dick in any hole he wants. </em> Trying not to start complaining again, Yuta bit his tongue and pushed all thoughts of his soon to be husband and upcoming marriage to the back of his mind.</p><p> </p><p>His upcoming, <em> arranged </em> marriage.</p><p> </p><p>Yes, he had never actually met his prince charming, the alpha who was going to marry him and then mate him a complete mystery. He knew only a couple things, which consisted of typical 'he's a strong powerful alpha' bullshit and nothing actually useful. Not even capable of wrangling a good description from his mother, Yuta just had to hope his husband wasn't some old pervy alpha looking for a young omega to please him.</p><p> </p><p>Having been engaged since birth, when his parents signed the treaty and signed away his life, Yuta was angry. He had full right to be. <em> Why didn't I get any choice before they just gave me away? </em> he whined, <em> What happened to letting someone choose who they want to marry and mate? What happened to not signing your kid's life away before he can even walk? </em> The strangest thing, however, was the sudden change in his future husband at four years old. His parents had never given him a good explanation, so he had to guess that either someone died or someone more suitable came along and he was just passed around like a possession.</p><p> </p><p>"Taeil-hyung? Winwin?" the omega asked, feeling even more sick at the thought, "I don't feel too good."</p><p> </p><p>The alpha and beta looked at him softly, pity and shame clear in their eyes as they were forced to escort their best friend to an unknown fate he never wanted. Petting Yuta's hair to calm him down in a way only he could, Winwin pulled him onto his lap, holding him closer. It felt nice, being cared for and held like this, but it also hurt like a small needle digging into his heart, the embrace more of an apology than anything else.</p><p> </p><p>"It's just your nerves," Taeil answered calmly, his perfect comforting tone relaxing Yuta.</p><p> </p><p>Even though he knew neither of his bodyguards would be fooled, Yuta faked a smile, bitterness returning as Winwin let out another burst of dominant pheromones to ease him. <em>We really all do have our roles and we all fit them perfectly, huh?</em> he let himself be calmed by Winwin's rich scent, <em>Taeil's the comforting reasonable beta while Winwin is the strong unpredictable alpha. And I... I'm the emotional little omega.</em> <em>Why?</em></p><p> </p><p>Burying his head into Winwin's neck, Yuta hoped the smell would just wash over him and let him slip away, whispering quietly, "Why? Why does it hurt?"</p><p> </p><p>"What?" immediately sitting next to the other two, Taeil grasped the sides of his face and inspected him worriedly, "Are you hurt? Did something happen?"</p><p> </p><p>Shaking his head, he abruptly changed the subject, "Do you know what he's like?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yuta, you know we can't tell you," Winwin intervened, knowing Taeil would cave at the hurt puppy eyes Yuta was sending him, "But, he's not a creepy old pervert if that's why you're worried. You'll probably find him attractive, you know."</p><p> </p><p>"Never," the omega grimaced and violently shook his head, "I'll never like him because I hate him."</p><p> </p><p>The two laughed gently at him, but Yuta just frowned, <em> I have a right, don't I? He took my freedom and he'll rule my life, I can hate him all I want. </em> He stared out the window when a thought suddenly sunk in, draining him of all his energy and happiness, <em> It won't even matter because hating him is all I can do. </em> Sadness clear in the strong and usually sweet pheromones he produced, Winwin and Taeil pulled him close, letting him drown in their scents and cry on their shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>"I know it's hard," Taeil rubbed his back, "But, I also know that it won't get better by hating him. Hating someone is exhausting, especially if you see him everyday for the rest of your life. Don't hurt yourself like that."</p><p> </p><p>Laughing dryly, Yuta angrily wiped his tears, "What would you know? You're not the one getting sold off and traded around like an object."</p><p> </p><p>"It hurts us too," the alpha suddenly snapped, seeming strangely emotional considering the calm and uncaring demeanor he normally had, "Trust me, I don't want to leave you, to give you to another alpha. I don't want him to be the one to mate you."</p><p> </p><p>Winwin's words only made him more sad, he cried, breath ragged, "I wish I was an alpha like you."</p><p> </p><p>"And I wish I was an alpha like him. Your alpha."</p><p> </p><p>The realization hitting him, Yuta pulled back and wriggled out of the alpha's lap, "I-i'm s-sorry, I d-don't—"</p><p> </p><p>He finally became aware of everything he'd done, how he'd asked Winwin to help him through all his heats and played him along by being cuddly and clingy. The alpha's mask had returned and he was as unemotional as ever, but Yuta saw the slight flicker of pain and sadness in his eyes before he managed to will it away. Imagining everything from Winwin's perspective, he felt even worse, <em> What uninterested omega asks an alpha to help them through their heats? I led him on and made him believe I liked him when I'm not available. All the pain he helped get rid of during my heats? I just passed it on to him. </em></p><p> </p><p>"Winwin," the omega whispered, staying far away, tears welling up in his eyes again, "I'm sorry—"</p><p> </p><p>"It's okay," Winwin replied, expressionless, his voice dead, "You don't have to apologize. I'm just here to guard you and get you to your husband, nothing more."</p><p> </p><p>Not knowing what to say, he glanced at Taeil, but the beta didn't even look at him, focusing on calming Winwin with his relaxing scent and soft words that Yuta couldn't hear. The alpha had done so much for him, taken away his pain so many times, and Yuta hadn't ever given him anything in return. He'd never helped him through his ruts or even simply thanked him, he'd just taken everything like a spoiled brat. Worse, he'd expected it from Winwin, not even pausing or thinking about the other before calling him for help with his heats.</p><p> </p><p>"Winwin," he mumbled again, reaching for the alpha's hand and holding it gently, "I'm sorry and, if you ever need help with your r-ruts, ask me, o-okay?"</p><p> </p><p>Shaking his head, Winwin pulled Yuta back onto his lap and held him close again, "I couldn't ask that of you," then, more hesitantly, he asked, "Are we good? Like still friends?"</p><p> </p><p>"Always," the omega answered, pulling Taeil into their hug, "It's us three forever."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It was a couple more hours before they crossed the border into the other kingdom and a couple more before they arrived at the court. The court was more like a palace, monstrously huge yet sparsely decorated, and Yuta gaped when he saw it, <em> They live here? </em> Pressing his face to the window and looking around curiously, he realized that the gardens alone were bigger than his family's entire estate, but the 'home' was missing something. It felt so cold and emotionless, unlike the lively people-filled place Yuta was used to, and everyone seemed that way too, no guards waving hello or servants smiling.</p><p> </p><p>"They all seem so..." he trailed off, looking for the right word, "Dead."</p><p> </p><p>"Different kings rule their countries different ways," Taeil told him before pulling him back from the window and reminding him to be proper, "Your father is a warm welcoming ruler, your future husband may not be."</p><p> </p><p>Snorting, Yuta tried to hide his fear, but he unconsciously clung closer to Winwin, "Just because you're some cold powerful king doesn't mean you can't plant a couple rose bushes."</p><p> </p><p>"Be polite," the beta scolded lightly, passing him his coat as the carriage jerked to a halt, "You're an omega prince and, as much as you hate it, you have to act as such. We're only guests here until you're married."</p><p> </p><p>The omega could sense there was something else that Taeil wasn't telling him, the nervous flicker of his eyes back and forth giving it away. <em> Weird, </em> he thought, now noticing the little fidget of the beta's fingers and the constant light tap of his foot, <em> He's normally so calm and collected. What is making him like this? Does he... know something? </em> His curiosity burned when Taeil gulped loudly at the sound of someone talking to their driver and their luggage starting to get unloaded.</p><p> </p><p>"You know something," Yuta stated, staring directly into the other's panicked eyes, "There's something you're not telling me that's scaring the shit out of you."</p><p> </p><p>Sighing, Taeil shook his head firmly, "I can't tell you—"</p><p> </p><p>"He's my future husband! I think I have the right to know!"</p><p> </p><p>"He's a killer, okay?!" the beta yelled back, losing it and only calming down when Winwin placed a heavy hand on his thigh, "He has more blood on his hands than you could even imagine and, yes, that scares me."</p><p> </p><p>Neither the alpha nor the omega were expecting Taeil's outburst and sat in stunned silence as he slowly calmed down. <em> Just how many people has he killed? </em> Yuta was now the one panicking, <em> Will he kill Taeil or Winwin if they cross him? Will he kill me when he's gotten his so wanted heir and has no more use for me? </em> Raking a hand through his long silver hair, he breathed in deeply and slumped against the two others, pinning them down under his weight. They both groaned and tried to push him back up, but the omega just flopped down again, completely limp in their hold from the sudden wave of fear that had hit him at the thought of his husband being a killer.</p><p> </p><p>"Yuta, you have to get up, okay?" Winwin told him, pushing him up with a huff, "We have to meet your husband and his family, they're waiting for us."</p><p> </p><p>"Will he kill me when he's done with me?"</p><p> </p><p>Their silence was more than enough to answer his question and Yuta didn't even know why he'd asked, <em> They don't know what he'll do to me. I mean, how could they? </em> Winwin's hand began petting his hair, but for the first time in his life, it did nothing to calm him and his fear just kept building. Strangely, growing alongside it was another emotion; anger. He was frustrated that he had so little choice and angry at his husband for taking that choice from him, but Yuta was also defensive and protective, almost as if he was angry at the idea of Taeil and Winwin getting hurt. <em> I won't let them get hurt, not by some merciless killer. Not by my husband. </em></p><p> </p><p>"Don't answer that," he said again when Taeil opened his mouth to speak, "I won't let him kill me, I'm not that easy to get rid of. And he'll never hurt either of you."</p><p> </p><p>Despite being cut off once, Taeil took his chance and spoke anyways, "You don't control your husband, Yuta. This is politics and when it comes to this arranged marriage, you'll become his. Everything you do will need his permission just because he's your husband."</p><p> </p><p>"Well," Yuta stood up and brushed whatever dirt there was off his coat, "He's not my husband yet."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>(tw: slight violence, i guess? like slapping people...)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Getting up too, Taeil straightened his simple button up and flattened a wrinkle on his pants while Winwin swapped the omega's coat for his own, knowing he felt comfortable when he was swamped in the alpha's clothing. Pushing outside and into the cold, the omega avoided looking up at his future husband who was waiting to greet him, focusing instead on not tripping as he jumped down from the carriage. He helped Taeil and Winwin down like he usually did, offering them his hand and letting them lean their weight on him so they wouldn't fall, and then quickly ducked behind the alpha, hiding to avoid the burning stare that was boring into him.</p><p> </p><p>"Hello," Taeil greeted them calmly, "I'm Taeil, he's Winwin, and we're Prince," the beta pulled him out from where he was hiding, grunting at the effort it took, "Prince Yuta's bodyguards."</p><p> </p><p>"I'm Mark," the alpha answered, his cold tone making Yuta shiver, "My family is waiting inside, out of the cold."</p><p> </p><p>Finally gathering his courage, the omega raised his eyes from where they were pinned to the ground to look at his future husband and was caught off guard. The alpha was nothing like the rough battle-scarred alpha he'd expected, instead on the shorter side with soft cheeks, fluffy hair, and delicate features. But, his strong dominant scent made him undeniably an alpha and it enveloped Yuta, forcing him to cling to Winwin so he didn't throw himself on his knees in front of the alpha and bare his neck in submission. <em> It's actually kind of funny, </em> he thought once he'd regained a grip on himself, <em> It’s like he's an alpha trapped in an omega's body. </em></p><p> </p><p>Feeling slightly less scared, Yuta dipped his head politely, "Nice to meet you, Mark."</p><p> </p><p>Mark didn't respond, staring at the omega for a while before just gesturing for all of them to follow him inside. <em> He may not be an old perv, </em> he thought, eyes narrowing when Taeil and Winwin stayed behind to help unpack the luggage, <em> But he's a little prick with no respect. </em> Waiting for the alpha to start some sort of conversation now that they were alone, Yuta found out quickly that Mark had no interest in him and definitely wasn't going to start a conversation. A little pang of disappointment made him shake his head, <em> Why am I disappointed? What did I even expect? I'm just here to make him an heir, of course he wouldn't have any other interest in me. </em></p><p> </p><p><em> If he won't do it, then I will. I'm not some weak helpless omega, </em> he straightened himself up a bit and breathed out calmly, "So, Mark, tell me a bit about yourself. I’m twenty-four, how old are you?"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm twenty," the other replied curtly before his lips twitched into a smirk, "And you'll call me 'sir'."</p><p> </p><p>"Um... excuse me?"</p><p> </p><p>"You're an omega and I'm your alpha, you'll respect me," Mark leaned forwards and whispered into his ear, suddenly letting a strong wave of alpha pheromones flood over Yuta to get him to submit,</p><p> </p><p>"Got that, <em> omega </em>?"</p><p> </p><p>Clenching his fists, he willed himself to not submit, but a little whimper still escaped him and Mark smiled smugly. <em> So this is how it's gonna be, huh? </em> Yuta thought, pulling his hair back into a small ponytail, <em> Constantly trying to exert your power over me because you're insecure about yourself? </em> He turned his angry expression into a neutral one, staying next to Mark instead of running back to Winwin and Taeil like he was sure the other had expected. Not missing the little twitch of the alpha's eye, it was his turn to smirk, quite pleased with how easily he had pissed him off.</p><p> </p><p>Wrapping an arm around the omega's shoulders and roughly pulling him closer, Mark sniffed the nape of his neck where his scent was the strongest, releasing his alpha pheromones as he did to scent-mark him. It was such a blatant mark of ownership, a power play, and Yuta stiffened angrily, pulling with all his might to free himself. However, the alpha was stronger than him and held him in place, taking his sweet time to make it as obvious as possible to the omega that he belonged to the alpha, that he was his property.</p><p> </p><p>"There," Mark said, pulling back and looking very pleased with himself, "Now do you get it? You belong to me."</p><p> </p><p>Blinking back tears that welled up at being so insignificant, Yuta hissed, "You're wrong," his voice dripped with disdain, "<em> Sir</em>."</p><p> </p><p>"And how am I wrong?"</p><p> </p><p>"You need an heir, so you need me and I won't give you your so wanted heir if you treat me like this," he replied, seeing the realization light up on Mark's face, "And, before you try and use it against me, I don't need you to get through my heats. Do you honestly think I've suffered through six years of heats alone?"</p><p> </p><p>The alpha pulled back quickly, a disgusted look on his face, "So, you're not pure?"</p><p> </p><p>"Why do I have to be pure? You're definitely not, I can smell an omega on you right now," Yuta snapped back, losing his temper again and forgetting to be the 'proper' omega prince, "Face it, you're an insecure, useless, royal dick."</p><p> </p><p>Stalking off towards the court, he left a stunned Mark behind and followed a guard who was walking with them to the doors, thankful the guard didn't ask any questions or give him any looks. They were stuck waiting for the alpha, as he couldn't just go see Mark's family alone, and he sighed, <em> Neither of us want this marriage, he hates me and I hate him. </em> The desperation of his situation sunk in and Yuta looked down, <em> As much as I can threaten him, my only job here is to please him, at least sexually, and give him his heir. How can I do that if I can't even stand talking to him? </em></p><p> </p><p>Brushing away his thoughts, he distracted himself by turning to the guard and inspecting him, not bothering too much with being proper and polite as that had already failed. He was a tall muscular alpha, as expected, and remained impassive under the prince’s gaze, probably having been trained to not disturb the royal family or any guests and not listen in on important conversations. But, what surprised Yuta was that the guard was an older gentleman, passed the age where he would've been sent home and given a little bit of money each year in his own kingdom. <em> It must be different here, </em> he realized, <em> They must work until they die just to have enough money to support their family. </em></p><p> </p><p>Tapping the guard's shoulder, he spoke softly, "Here," the omega took his silver bracelet off his slender wrist and passed it to the older man, "Take this to your family."</p><p> </p><p>"Sir, I can't accept this—"</p><p> </p><p>"Yes, you can," he insisted, placing the bracelet in the guard's grubby hand and firmly closing his fist around it, "And call me Yuta."</p><p> </p><p>The older man bowed his thanks and clasped the bracelet around his wrist, though it was a bit tight because the omega's wrist was slimmer than his, as not to lose it or get it stolen. For the first time since he'd entered this god-forsaken kingdom, Yuta felt better, like there wasn't an alpha just a few feet behind him who was judging him for being so kind to a guard or there weren't any expectations for him to be some 'perfect' omega. <em> I feel whole again, </em> he thought, watching the guard's awed face as he looked down at the extremely expensive bracelet he'd just been given, <em> Like I'm more than a prize for an alpha to show off or a sex toy for an alpha to use. </em></p><p> </p><p>"Are we done here?" Mark's pissed off voice echoed from behind, bringing Yuta back to reality, "Or are we going to stand here in the cold for a couple more hours, hmm?"</p><p> </p><p>Turning around and faking a smile, the omega replied, his tone sweet but his words harsh, "If you wanted to get by, you could've asked politely, Mark. Nothing comes from ridiculous shows of authority or dominance."</p><p> </p><p>Snarling, the alpha placed a hand on the nape of his neck and walked forwards, pulling him along while the guard trailed a few feet behind them, "Don't forget your place, omega. Got it?"</p><p> </p><p>Yuta fell silent, purposefully dragging his feet to try and get the other to let go of him, but Mark pulled him along easily anyways. <em> Omega, </em> he thought, <em> Always lording your secondary gender over me like it's a weapon. I'm fully aware you're an alpha and I'm an omega, find a better argument than just being born lucky. </em> Glancing back, the guard looked shocked, probably never having seen an omega talk back to an alpha, especially one they were going to marry. Smiling reassuringly, Yuta waved for him to stop following them and the guard halted immediately, moving to stand next to the other guards at the entry. <em> Maybe Mark will act nicer if there's no one he feels he has to impress. </em></p><p> </p><p>"Answer me, omega," Mark repeated, hand still firm on his neck and dominant pheromones encasing the omega so he couldn't escape.</p><p> </p><p><em> Or not, </em> he thought, so close to rolling his eyes, but he forced himself to respond with an even measured voice, "I have a name, Mark. I'll answer to it."</p><p> </p><p>"You also have a position and you'll abide by the rules that position gives you," the other snapped back, walking quicker towards two large wooden doors that no doubt led to the dining room, "I won't have a disrespectful omega."</p><p> </p><p>"You won't have a disrespectful omega?" Yuta repeated incredulously, barely believing what he was hearing, "Why? Because you think you deserve a perfect omega slave?" he snorted, "You don't deserve shit."</p><p> </p><p>The slap was unexpected, he'd knew Mark would get mad but never thought he'd actually raise a hand against him, and the omega fell silent, slowly bringing one hand up to his cheek. Biting back the bile that rose in his throat, he used all his strength and pushed the alpha as far away as he could, making a couple feet of space between them. <em> So this is what my life's going to be like? </em> the omega thought, refusing to look at Mark and instead slowly continuing towards the dining room where the royal family would be waiting for them, <em> Can't speak up? Can't talk back? Prisoners have more rights than this, at least they can scream. </em></p><p> </p><p>"Yuta," the alpha grabbed his hand and pulled him back so they were walking side by side again, "That was out of line, I'm," his face scrunched up like he was in pain, "I'm... sorry."</p><p> </p><p>Laughing at how pained his apology sounded, Yuta did his best to try and forgive the younger, "Don't do it again or I won't hesitate to slap you back."</p><p> </p><p><em> I'm only forgiving you because I don't have another choice, </em> he wanted to scream and slap Mark so bad, but he held back, knowing he was in a foreign kingdom and assaulting their king wouldn't go over well. However, what surprised him was that the alpha didn't start pulling him forwards again, instead staying still with the same conflicted expression on his face. Trying to pull Mark forwards and knock him out of it, Yuta found it was hopeless, the other's feet firmly planted to the ground and the grip on his wrist too tight for him to try and pull away without hurting himself.</p><p> </p><p>Looking closely at the other, he saw that Mark was staring down at his hand with a confused expression, as if even he hadn't thought he'd slap the omega and was shocked by his own actions. If he was honest, it was getting annoying. Yuta just wanted to move on, to forget, and the alpha who was standing dumbly and forcing him to do the same wasn't helping in the slightest. As he was waiting for the alpha to get a grip on himself, it struck him just how young Mark was and how he was most likely just repeating what he'd learned on a battlefield at ten years old. <em> Maybe I'm the lucky one, </em> he thought, <em> Sure, being an omega means you're treated like nothing and you're destined for a life of serving an alpha, but at least no one taught me how to think. At least I wasn't fighting in a war and killing people when I was just a kid. </em></p><p> </p><p>"Do it."</p><p> </p><p>Surprised by Mark suddenly speaking and at this point extremely confused by the alpha's behavior, Yuta asked, "Sorry, what?"</p><p> </p><p>"Go ahead, hit me."</p><p> </p><p>"Mark," the omega tried to reason, starting to think it was all a joke just to test him or something equally stupid, "I'm not going to hit you."</p><p> </p><p>"Why not?" Mark asked, releasing Yuta's hand and looking down with a worryingly sad look on his face, "I mean, I hit someone I just met who I'm supposed to marry in two days. Fuck it, I probably deserve two slaps."</p><p> </p><p>Cupping the alpha's cheek, he pushed all thoughts of his supposedly sweet second nature aside and slapped Mark lightly on the cheek, "There, we're even so stop whining and feeling sorry, it's annoying. As for the marriage in two days," he stopped abruptly and then screeched, panicking, "Wait, two days?!"</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah..." the other absently brought a hand up to rub his cheek and then looked up with a confused look on his face, "You didn't know?"</p><p> </p><p>"No, I didn't," Yuta regained a grip on himself and tried to appear as calm as possible, even though he was internally freaking out, "I thought it would be in two weeks or something."</p><p> </p><p>Snorting, Mark returned to his jerk self and the omega couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed, "Why else would we have a vase of roses in each room?"</p><p> </p><p>"Because they're pretty, Mark, that's why," he snapped back, angry that his favorite flower was getting insulted, "Now, let's go meet your family before one of us loses it again."</p><p> </p><p>Nodding but not saying anything, the alpha wrapped a hand around his waist and walked with him towards the doors, more like pulling him along because he walked much faster. Yuta clung closer when Mark reached to open the door, wanting to make it seem like they were already on good terms. However, like the tease he is, Mark pulled his hand back and stared smugly at him as if he'd won some unknown bet between them. Nudging him, the omega signaled for him to open the door, but he didn't, instead pulling Yuta even closer so they were pressed up against one another in a way that was surprisingly comfortable.</p><p> </p><p>"Clinging to me for support?" the alpha asked cockily, squeezing his hip, "Are you already that attached?"</p><p> </p><p>"Don't flatter yourself," Yuta whispered back, keeping his tone sweet in case anyone overheard, but his words were sharp like barbed wires, "I'm doing this to make a good impression in front of your family. It speaks well of my kingdom and they're the reason I'm marrying you in the first place."</p><p> </p><p>"Well, don't piss yourself in fear, omega."</p><p> </p><p>"Don't pop a boner, <em> sir</em>."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Shuddering as he remembered the hurtful words thrown at him by Mark's mother for not being 'pure', Yuta followed a servant to the guest room he'd been assigned, far from the wing of the palace where the royal family slept. He was all alone, the other guests rooms around him completely empty as there were no guests at the moment and Winwin and Taeil had been given rooms in the servant's quarters despite his protests. It scared him, being a vulnerable unmated omega all alone in a foreign kingdom where he could easily be attacked or assaulted, but when he'd tried to explain his fear, Mark had just laughed it off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Honestly, he didn't know what scared him more; sleeping in a room close to Mark's mother who had looked like she'd murder him while he slept or sleeping alone where anyone could take advantage of him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If only Winwin and Taeil were here,</span>
  </em>
  <span> the omega thought, wishing desperately he had his best friends next to him. Yuta hadn't seen them since the carriage ride as he'd been busy meeting Mark's family and they'd been helping unload and unpack.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We're here, sir," the servant politely informed him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Looking around and realizing they were at the end of the hallway of the guest wing, he almost laughed and muttered to himself, "They really put me as far away as possible, didn't they?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sir?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh!" the omega exclaimed, realizing she'd heard, and turned to thank her, "Thank you for showing me the way here and please, call me Yuta."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded and guided him inside, "Your items are all here or in the bathroom," she pointed to a closed door on the right, "Do you need anything else, si— Y-yuta?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Could you give me directions to the kitchen in case I need anything during the night?" he asked, not wanting to let her know he was planning to go visit Winwin and Taeil, but needing directions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The servant gave him the directions without asking any questions and Yuta committed them to memory, dismissing her afterwards and reassuring her that, yes, he was sure he could bathe himself without help. Opening the bathroom door, he slipped inside and quickly stripped down all of his clothing, laying them to the side and stepping into the tub. Though the water was cold and made him shiver, he didn't mind, quickly scrubbing himself down as if that could get rid of how dirty he felt after Mark's mother had degraded him in front of Mark, who just smirked and listened silently. The omega wasn't sure if it should hurt as much as it did that his own soon-to-be husband hadn't even bothered to defend him, but what could he expect, they weren't exactly friends or anything.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm not a slut for having one alpha help me through my heats," Yuta told himself, voice getting shaky as he felt his whole mask of confidence crumble into pieces, "R-right?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why does it hurt so much? I don't even know her, she doesn't know me, but the first thing she does is attack me. Plus, it was Mark that told her and then watched with a stupid smirk,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he punched the edge of the tub in sudden anger, hurting himself more than anything, </span>
  <em>
    <span>So what if I couldn't bear the pain after a year of dealing with it all alone? In the end, I'm only human.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Trembling and clutching his knees to his chest, the omega convinced himself that he wasn't going to cry, that it was just because the water was cold and nothing else. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It's better cold,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he faked a small feeble smile even though there was no one watching, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe this way I'll become like everyone else in this kingdom; stone cold. Maybe I need something to numb my mind and freeze my heart.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yuta felt a drop of water from a wet strand of his hair trickle down his cheek, or maybe it was a tear and he just didn't want to admit it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No," he scolded himself, getting out of the cold water and drying off, "You're strong, Yuta. A couple words from some old angry queen and a smirk from your future husband isn't going to break you, not today."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Putting on the nightgown that was laid to the side, he cleaned up as much as he could, not wanting to leave it all to the servants, and walked back into his room. The big bed in the center of the room was covered in white sheets and a light grey duvet, looking a bit bland up against the baby pink flowered wallpaper. Carefully arranged, the two small pink decorative pillows on the bad and the vase of pink roses on the nightstand were probably meant to make it seem a bit more homey and welcoming. It did work, but it was still missing warmth and life which only made Yuta more sure of his decision to go see Taeil and Winwin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Exiting his room and softly closing the door behind him, the omega tip-toed down the hallway, following the servant's directions to the kitchen and hoping the living quarters would be nearby. He stumbled a couple times, the only light was the moon shining through the windows and a couple candles high up on the wall, but he didn't hurt himself and kept going. There was nobody else awake at this time, though he still checked the hallways for people before he turned down them, not wanting to get caught. Grasping the rail of the staircase, he flinched at the loud groan the wood made under his weight as he began to walk. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Do I walk faster and get it over with? Or slowly to try and spread out the noise?</span>
  </em>
  <span> he debated, taking another squeaky step and then groaning, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Screw old creepy mansions.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, only a guard heard him and entered the room, but he waved 'hello' and told him to return to his station which the guard did without arguing. Getting closer to the kitchen, Yuta was getting much more excited, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I'm almost there! The servant's quarters, where Winwin and Taeil are, should be easy to find and I can finally get my... cuddles.</span>
  </em>
  <span> It sounded stupid, but the omega had been dragged through hell the entire day and just wanted some love and affection, getting giddy and excited at the mere thought. The light from the kitchen fire glowed brightly as he got closer and he rounded the final corner just to crash into someone head-first.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Groaning and rubbing his head, Yuta quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't see you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What are you doing here?" a cold harsh voice made the omega's eyes snap open and he froze.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mark?" he asked, dreading the alpha's reaction to seeing him up so late, "I was just grabbing a," </span>
  <em>
    <span>Quick think of something, think of a lie!</span>
  </em>
  <span> "A glass of water from the kitchen! Yes, a glass of water."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Surprisingly, Mark didn't question him, instead quickly hiding his hands behind his back and starting to walk away, "Well do it quickly and then go to bed."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the alpha marched off, Yuta turned around and caught a glimpse of what he was hiding, immediately recognizing what it was. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It's warm oil,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he realized, watching Mark disappear towards his bedroom, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lube. He's fucking another omega when I'm right here, in his palace.</span>
  </em>
  <span> His heart broke and he hurried towards the kitchen, shaking the thoughts from his head and hoping forgetting about it would ease his pain. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why should I care?</span>
  </em>
  <span> the omega thought, not understanding why he was so upset by this, </span>
  <em>
    <span>He never wanted me, so of course he's going to have someone else. Anyways, he's the alpha, he can do as he pleases.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Entering the kitchen, he paused for a second to calm down, not wanting to make Winwin or Taeil worry about him by being a complete mess, and then ducked into the back hallway. He didn't quite know where he was going at this point, but it was the only corridor off the kitchen and so Yuta assumed it had to be the one leading to the servant's quarters. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wait...</span>
  </em>
  <span> he stopped in the middle of the hallway, staring at the one large door at the end of it, </span>
  <em>
    <span>This doesn't seem right. Do they all share one room that just has bunks for everyone?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ignoring how every single part of his brain was screaming at him to turn around, he reached for the door handle and opened it slowly, the loud screech making him groan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sorry," he whispered as he slipped inside, some people sending him annoyed looks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was just as he'd expected, rows of bunk beds for all the guards and servants to sleep in and small baskets under the beds for their few personal items. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Disgusting,</span>
  </em>
  <span> the omega grimaced and began looking around for Winwin or Taeil, spotting both of them at the back of the room, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not only are they paid so little, but they share one sleeping area, all cramped together.</span>
  </em>
  <span> As he made his way down the row, he was thankful no one had recognized him yet and hoped he could just pass through unnoticed. However, Yuta knew that wouldn't happen when the older man who he'd given his bracelet to earlier jumped down from his bunk and bowed lowly to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Prince Yuta," the guard bowed again despite the omega's frantic arm waves for him to stop, "Why are you here? Can we assist you?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At the mention of his name, all the servants and guards got up quickly, bowing as well and needlessly apologizing. It made him a bit uncomfortable, he'd been the one to disturb them after all and he started to feel bad for interrupting everyone's rest just so he could see his friends. Winwin and Taeil's attention was drawn to him immediately and they quickly walked over, trying to push through the crowd of people surrounding him, but getting stuck in the back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry for disturbing all of you," he murmured politely, bowing in return, "Please, rest. I'm just here to see a couple friends."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Though all the servants and guards returned to their bunks, their eyes followed him around the room and he could hear their faint whispers of surprise that he'd be friends with someone of such low status. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Is it that strange?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Yuta wondered, weaving his way through the dispersing crowd to get to Winwin and Taeil, </span>
  <em>
    <span>It probably is, considering how cold and strict the entire royal family is. I wonder if I'll ever be able to become their friends, I'd like to get to know them better.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yuta," Winwin pulled him from his thoughts and into a warm safe hug, "What are you doing here?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Had to see you," he mumbled, voice muffled by the alpha's chest as he nuzzled closer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Me too," Taeil almost whined from beside them, opening his arms and waiting for his hug.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pulling the beta into their hug, Yuta gripped onto them tightly, refusing to let go even when they both tried to pull back and lead him to their bunk. He knew they could tell something was wrong, but neither mentioned anything and, when Winwin picked him up and carried him to their bunk, they remained silent. Laying the omega down in his bunk, Winwin sat down next to him and gently pet his hair while Taeil sat at the foot of the bed and released more of his calming pheromones. It definitely helped, being so close to the two, and Yuta sighed happily, gathering his energy to speak and tell them everything that had happened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It went horribly," he whispered, sinking deeper into the soft pillows, "They're all awful and cold and..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He trailed off, sudden tears choking him as he tried to speak, and everyone in the room tensed, the servants eyeing each other nervously and some of the guards leaping up, thinking he was in danger. Laying down beside him and pulling him onto his chest, Winwin slipped his hands under the omega's shirt and rubbed his back, his touch soft and comforting. Taeil moved up beside him and replaced Winwin's hands in his hair, turning around quickly to send a reassuring glance to the guards who stepped back a bit but remained standing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What happened, Yuta?" Taeil murmured gently, shocked gasps being heard around the room when the beta addressed him by his first name, "We're here to listen to you, so tell us."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I wish I could, but I can't,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought, trembling in Winwin's arms, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can do this alone; I can stay strong for our kingdom. I have to.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Light footsteps padding towards them made Yuta look up and he saw a servant holding a cup of tea out for him. He smiled and ducked his head in thanks before reaching out to take the glass from her outstretched hands. But, Winwin swarred away his shaky hands when he tried to grab it and instead held it for him, helping him sit up and drink the warm tea. It definitely helped, the warmth flooding through him and relaxing him almost immediately, and the omega let out a shaky breath, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Get a grip, you're stronger than this.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beginning to explain, he left out most of the details and small things that’d actually hurt him, afraid of their reactions, "He always uses his secondary gender to prove his power over me," he clutched tightly onto Winwin, "And when his mom found out I wasn't pure, she called me awful things and Mark didn't even try to defend me."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The whole room was silent, the buzz of life quieting so only his voice was heard, and he knew everyone was listening, but for once, he didn't really care. If anything, the servants seemed to pity him, their expressions of sympathy and compassion warmed his heart a bit as he realized how he wasn't really alone. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sure, it isn't 'proper' to be friends with servants,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Yuta thought, glancing around the room and doing his best to smile reassuringly, </span>
  <em>
    <span>But when did I care for proper?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"A-and I saw h-him with w-warm o-oil on the way h-here," he stuttered, voice breaking, "H-he's with another o-omega even when I'm r-right here."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Surprisingly, it was Taeil who seemed the most angered by what he'd said, not Winwin, as if it'd gone against his etiquette guideline for future husbands and that ticked him off. The beta tensed, tightening his grip in the omega's hair and making him wince, before forcing himself to relax again and petting his soft hair once again. Even though Taeil seemed most furious that didn't mean Winwin wasn't either, the telltale burst of strong dominant pheromones giving away his reaction with little room for debate. Winwin passed the half-empty glass of tea he was holding back to the servant and quickly raked a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated by everything that had happened. Pushing Yuta back so he was laying down again and then doing the same, the alpha gripped him tight to his chest, enveloping him in the comforting bubble of his scent and breathing in the omega's scent to calm himself too.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry," Winwin whispered, warm breath tickling the shell of the other's ear, "I wish I could just beat that brat up for treating you so terribly, but I ca—" he cut off, still trying to accept the fact himself, "I can't do anything."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You are doing something," he paused halfway through to press a faint kiss to Taeil's cheek as the beta moved up to his own bunk to sleep more comfortably, "You're all keeping me sane even after just one day by being here for me. It's more than I could ever ask for."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hugging him tighter and humming happily at his words, the alpha purposefully let an especially strong wave of his pheromones wash over Yuta to lull him to sleep, "Just close your eyes and rest. After everything, you need it."</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The servants bustling around in the early morning woke Yuta up and he yawned sleepily, stretching his arms upwards and then pawing the space on the bed next to him. His eyes shot open and he sat up abruptly when he realized Winwin wasn't there, looking around for the alpha and greeting everyone politely. <em> They aren't bowing anymore, </em> he observed with a smile, glad the servants already felt more comfortable around him, <em> Do they feel comfortable around me or just not want to stare at me when I look like this? </em> Patting down his wild hair, the omega got up and shuffled into the kitchen, hoping to find Winwin and Taeil there or at least someone he knew.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When he walked into the kitchen, everyone quieted and he immediately felt guilty, "Please, don't stop for me."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Though their eyes were still trained on him, they continued their conversations while he stood at the entrance of the kitchen, feeling a little lost and rubbing his eyes sleepily. He'd slept well in Winwin's arms, but he's still slept barely a couple hours, going to bed late after his mini breakdown and getting woken up by the servants early. <em> Doesn't really matter, </em> Yuta thought, silently starting to make some tea, <em> I think there was some ginger in the tea last night? </em> he scratched his head and blinked a couple times before dumping a full jar of ginger into the boiling water, <em> And maybe lemon too? </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Sir?" a servant asked nervously, probably not used to seeing someone who was part of royalty actually do something by themselves, "Would you like me to make some tea for you?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"It's not for me," the omega clarified and then moved back to allow the servant to step forwards, glancing at the ground sheepishly, "But, maybe you could show me how?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The servant, a male omega like himself, nodded and walked him through the rather simple steps to make the tea, making the other feel quite stupid for not knowing how to do something so simple. <em> They thought it useful to teach me how to make a fancy three course meal, but god forbid I know how to make some tea, </em> he internally grumbled, <em> Well, at least I guessed the right ingredients. </em> It turned out he'd put way too much ginger into the boiling water when he'd started making it and they both laughed awkwardly while staring at the large pot of tea they'd ended up with. <em> What was I doing? There's like gallons of this stuff… </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Some to go around?" he suggested, opening a couple cabinets before he found the glasses and taking out as many as he could before turning around and shouting loudly, "Anyone for some lemon ginger honey tea thingy?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Surprisingly, several of the people in the kitchen stepped forwards, willing to risk their health to make him feel better about his creation, and others followed until everyone, except Winwin and Taeil who he still hadn't seen yet, was in line for some of the tea. Yuta served them all a glass, thankful they wanted some and he wouldn't have to waste it, but set the two glasses he needed aside for later. After everyone had had some, there was much more than just the two glasses remaining and he filled some spare jars he'd found in the nearest cupboard with the tea. <em> I can take it into town and give it to some people there, </em> he decided, quite pleased with the idea, <em> Hopefully it'll help everyone feel more comfortable around me. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Rubbing his eyes, he sighed and picked up the two glasses he'd set aside, <em> Now comes the hardest part. Lord, am I going to be able to keep calm? </em> The prince bowed his head to the servants as he walked out of the room, giving up on finding Winwin or Taeil for the moment and forcing himself to actually do what he’d planned before he chickened out. <em> It shouldn't be hard, </em> he told himself, quickly ducking into a storage room and asking for a small basket with a bowl of cool water and a couple rags, <em> I just have to play nice like I've been taught. </em> Smiling at the servant who'd handed him the supplies, he exited the small room and climbed the stairs to the royal sleeping quarters, his nerves growing with each step and water sloshing from the bowl.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mark's room was easy enough to find, a little plaque with his name on it on the door, and Yuta knocked three times, flinching when the sound echoed around the hallway. Ears pricking up, he heard someone stumbling towards the door from the other side and he turned around to collect himself, breathing in deeply and pulling the corners of his lips up into a small fake smile. <em> C'mon, Yuta, strength, </em> he told himself, <em> I'm better than some revenge seeking bitch, I won't lower myself to their level. </em>When he smelled Mark's distinctive alpha scent, which reminded him of spicy coffee with just enough sugar to be appealing, through the door and heard someone fumbling with the lock, he turned back around, bracing himself as the door creaked open.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Standing there with his hair tousled and shirtless, Mark groaned, mind still foggy from sleep, "What is it this early?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Waiting for the alpha to wake up a bit more and realize it was him, he nervously gripped the glasses of tea tighter in his hands, his nose twitching when he smelled the expected smell of an omega in heat on Mark. The scent was a bit like blueberries dipped in chocolate, but sickeningly sweet, exactly how it appealed to alpha's, and Yuta couldn't help but feel a bit nauseous. A gasp of shock interrupted the attack on his poor nose and the omega chuckled, low and raspy because he was distracted and forgot to raise the pitch of his voice to be that of an ideal omega's, at Mark's expression. Lifting what he was carrying, he jutted his chin towards the inside of the room to signal that he wanted to go inside, but Mark didn't notice, now shocked by the lowness of his voice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Can we go in, Mark?" Yuta asked somewhat impatiently, his arms beginning to hurt a bit from the weight of what he was carrying.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Oh, ye-" the other started, but then remembered the omega in his room and quickly shouted, "No!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pushing inside anyways, he rolled his eyes, trying to seem uncaring, "I know you slept with another omega, Mark. I'm not a complete idiot."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Secretly though, he did care and it did hurt him, so when he stepped further into the room, he curled into himself at the strong scent of omega that filled the room, well aware of Mark's own pheromones that were combined with the other omega's. It hurt Yuta's omega side, how obvious it was that Mark had spent the night with a heated omega when he was supposed to be <em> his </em> alpha, and his footsteps grew heavy. <em> Get over yourself, </em> he thought, speeding up his pace and practically running up to the side of the bed where the omega, wrapped in a bundle of clean white sheets, was whimpering, <em> You help and then you get out fast. If you stay too long— no! It won't happen, you're not going to go into heat too! </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sitting down next to the trembling heap of sheets, Yuta's heart tugged, remembering the years of pain he went through and feeling for the young omega. He set up his things, placing both cups of tea on the nearby table and placing the cool damp rag on the omega's forehead. However, suddenly, a hand grabbed him and pulled him up, Mark's unmistakable strong protective alpha scent washing over him. The fact that his future husband was so worked up and protective over another omega hurt some part of him deep inside, like a sharp little needle shattering a thick but brittle glass vase after just a couple taps.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Don't hurt him," Mark hissed and turned the omega around so his dominant pheromones affected the other the most.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mewling in submission, Yuta cursed himself for being so weak even though he was just born this way, "I'm not going to hurt him, I'm just trying to help. Shoving your knot into an omega's tight hole and breeding them isn't the only way to comfort an omega in heat, Mark."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Snarling aggressively at his snarky comment and enjoying when Yuta ducked his head down again, the alpha still didn't release him, "Why do you want to help?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I—" he paused, turning back to look at the heated omega, "I don't know. I mean, I should be mad that you're fucking another omega just days before our wedding while I'm in your kingdom and living under your roof. Shouldn't I, Mark?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Yuta—"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"No!" the omega snapped, ripping himself from Mark's grip and ignoring the pain he felt when he did so, "Let me finish!" the alpha fell silent, looking at him with emotionless eyes though Yuta could've sworn he saw a flicker of guilt, "I honestly don't care who you fuck, but days before our wedding?" the silence stretched out between them, "Days before I'm supposed to give you your heir?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sighing, Mark raked a hand through his hair, frustrated though it wasn't clear at who, "Don't worry about the <em> heir</em>, Yuta, I can breed two omegas no problem. Face it, you're just afraid I'll choose him because he's an attractive young omega, unlike you."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Biting back his tears, Yuta hissed, "I think there's a misunderstanding, Mark. I," he stabbed his index finger at his chest, again ignoring the pain, "Am doing this for my kingdom and I couldn't care less how many omegas you stick your puny dick in."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Moving a couple steps towards the door when Mark leaned forwards threateningly, he felt a wet feeling dripping down his hand and looked down at the spare rag that was clenched in his trembling fist. <em> Screw being polite and proper, </em> he thought, whirling around and throwing the rag at the alpha with all his might, a small feeling of happiness making him smile when the rag hit Mark right in the face, <em> Deserved it. </em> However, Yuta regretted his impulsive temper when Mark slowly looked up at him with an expression of pure fury, reaching out and roughly grabbing the omega's by the arm. Dragging him into the adjacent bathroom, the alpha didn't say anything, even after he'd closed the door, choosing instead to let his dominant pheromones torture Yuta who was already shaking violently and had tears dripping down his cheeks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Don't you dare do that again."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nodding quickly in hopes of saving himself from the alpha's wrath, Yuta held back a sob, the sound of him doing so sounding like a strangled sheep in a huge wolf's jaws. <em> Why is he like this? </em> he didn't dare meet Mark's gaze, keeping his eyes trained on the floor, even when Mark released his rough grip and instead began to gently cradle his cheek, <em> He's so mean but so gentle and it just hurts more. I wish my omega side didn't want him so bad. I hate myself for wanting someone like him. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was when Mark gently stroked his cheek and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, murmuring the same repeated apologies and sweet nothings, that the omega broke down. Sobbing, he fell to the ground and scrambled as far away as possible, hiding in a slightly dark corner of the bathroom only a couple feet from the alpha. But, Mark didn't let him get away that easily, picking him up and carrying him out of the bathroom and then out of his chamber altogether. The fresh air, free of the sickeningly sweet omega scent that filled the chamber, made Yuta gasp for breath and that was when he realized his mistake, <em> I've been exposed way too long. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pushing himself out of the alpha's arms and stumbling to his feet, he turned his back and ran towards the staircase, anywhere away from Mark and the scent of omega that was slowly triggering his heat. The omega heard Mark's loud footsteps running after him and escaped outside, ducking through the twists and turns of the sparse garden until he was panting but he continued onwards, knowing the other was still following him. Getting desperate, he turned into a labyrinth of neatly trimmed hedges, feet pounding against the icy gravel as he kept running, losing Mark somewhere behind him and also getting more and more disoriented.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finally collapsing to the ground, out of energy, Yuta rested his head between his knees and tried to slow his racing heart, his body cooling in the frozen air but his mind was slowly heating up. It was a sign of his approaching heat, though thankfully the other omega's scent had only triggered the very beginning of his heat and not the strongest of it, but it unfortunately meant that his heat would hit their wedding night. <em> I'm sure the officials will be happy about that, </em> he grimaced, leaning against a prickly hedge, <em> They'll give the speech about increased fertility and all that royal class bullshit. Why would I want to be more fertile? </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I don't want a kid," he muttered, brushing off some of the dirt stuck to his night wear as he forced himself to get up, "Let alone with a twenty year-old asshole alpha like him."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Trudging out of the dead end he was in, he attempted to try and find his way out of the maze, but just wound up going in circles. Not knowing what else to do, the omega continued to walk in circles because at least he was moving and, he thought snarkily, <em> At least I'm doing something other than sitting on my ass and waiting for someone to save me. </em> Sure, he was exhausted, despite having only woken up a couple hours ago, and feeling slightly sick, but if Yuta was one thing, it was stubborn, even if that meant he'd be mindlessly wandering around a maze in his night wear looking like death itself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As he wandered, thoughts of Mark and their upcoming mating kept coming to mind, but he pushed them away, refusing to further ruin his mood and knowing he had no choice in it anyways. <em> I should be thankful, </em> the omega thought and sighed when he saw a fountain up ahead, knowing that meant he was in the middle of the maze, <em> Being mated to a strong alpha is like a protection. Otherwise, all his enemies would try to steal me and use my weakness against him. </em> Though married but unmated omegas of royal blood were a rarity themselves, it wasn't uncommon for them to get stolen by their alpha's enemies and tortured while being held for a ransom that would never be paid. <em> If an alpha doesn't care enough to mate an omega, why would they pay a large ransom to save them? They don't care if 'their' omega gets tortured, sold, or raped because they're sitting on a gilded throne with a crown on their undeserving heads. </em></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em> See, it could be worse, much much worse, </em> the little voice in the back of his head reminded him and Yuta groaned in annoyance, "Oh, shut the fuck up."</p><p> </p><p>He couldn't even think of wandering around the maze any more, completely lost and lacking any energy because of all that had happened, and flopped onto a relatively clean looking patch of grass next to the fountain, leaning up against the cold stone. Sighing, the omega took a minute to catch his breath after all the running he'd done and, being slightly paranoid, listened again for any sounds of someone approaching. Hearing nothing and finally having completely regained his breath, he tried to think of a plan to get out of the maze. <em>I could wait for a staff member,</em> he thought at first, <em>But who knows how long that may take? It'll probably take hours at least. </em>The other option was to just walk around and hope he'd eventually find the exit, but given his luck so far today, that didn't seem too great either.</p><p> </p><p>Deciding on just staying in one place so he'd be easier to find, Yuta waited patiently, looking around at the fountain, which wasn't working right now and was instead just a pool of almost stagnant water, and the lush grass in the center of the maze that wasn't anywhere else in the garden. It was like a whole new world, green and vibrant despite being covered in snow unlike the dull firs and dead looking evergreens that were everywhere else, and it felt warm and welcoming to him. He felt strangely at home, a feeling he only got when he was in the rose garden back in his own kingdom or when he was hanging out with Winwin and Taeil.</p><p> </p><p>Already feeling hot, he looked closer at the fountain and dipped his hand in the clear yet dark water, cupping a bit and bringing it up to wash some of his sweat off his face. When some of the water dripped into his mouth and he tasted something strangely tangy, Yuta spit out the water with a grimace, but still combed his wet hands through his hair. The water was refreshing and, after looking around and making sure no one was near, he rid himself of his pants before stepping into the cool water. His long white night shirt trailed in the water, but the omega didn't care, dunking himself in the water and letting out a sigh of relief at the refreshing feeling.</p><p> </p><p>He stepped forwards, frowning when he found it strangely hard to move, but he didn't think much of it, going deeper into the fountain until the water was up to his waist. Taking another step forwards, he hastily jumped back when he realized the floor stopped suddenly or at least the pool got much deeper. More tentatively this time, Yuta stuck his leg out and crouched, waving his foot around and trying to find the floor again, but there just wasn't one, instead a strong current almost sucking him down. <em>Strange,</em> he thought, walking back and sitting on the edge of the fountain with his legs in the water, <em>I should ask Mark about it later.</em></p><p> </p><p><em>No, I don't want to talk to him,</em> Yuta thought firmly and then chuckled dryly, "But I'll marry him tomorrow," he breathed out and stared up at the cloudy grey sky, "For my kingdom, for my kingdom."</p><p> </p><p>The sun peeked out from behind a cloud and he closed his eyes, letting the faint warmth tease him ever so slightly, making him want more even though it was impossible. <em>We're almost alike,</em> the omega thought, opening his eyes and letting the sun momentarily blind him before he hurriedly closed them again, <em>The sun has an entire world it has to heat, but what heats the sun? I have an entire kingdom relying on me, but who do I rely on?</em></p><p> </p><p>Shaking away his thoughts like he usually did when he got this deep, Yuta stood up, grimacing at the feeling on his shirt sticking uncomfortably to his skin. But, it wasn't just his shirt. His skin was sticky too and not from sweat; it was something else, something thicker that was coated all over him, even his face and hair. Trying to wash it off, the omega dipped his hand back into the fountain, but it didn't help, instead feeling much like what was stuck to his skin. <em>It's the water,</em> he finally realized and quickly removed his hand from the fountain, stumbling back and trying to wipe his hand on the grass, <em>There's something in the water. What's in the water?</em></p><p> </p><p>Approaching the fountain again with light footsteps, he leaned over and dipped a finger in the water again, the waves disrupting his reflection but doing nothing else out of the ordinary. <em>What did I expect? Something to just leap out of the water?</em> Yuta scoffed at his own stupidity, but still glanced at his reflection again, <em>Wait... my skin.</em> Squinting closer, the tint of pink covering his skin was undeniable and he cautiously retreated from the waters edge before hurriedly pulling off his night shirt and throwing in on the ground away from him. The white shirt showed it even clearer than his tanner skin, being seemingly dyed to a light splotchy pink.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh lord," he whimpered, slipping back into his dry pants so he wasn't completely naked, <em>There's something—</em> "No, there's <em>blood</em> in the water."</p><p> </p><p>Forcing himself to stay as calm as possible, the omega crawled back towards the fountain and peeked over the edge, scanning the dark water for a figure or a body or an object or just anything. However, he couldn't get his hands to stop trembling and his eyes were shaky, fear bleeding through his mind and shutting his body down. He took another deep breath before staring back at the water, though this time, it was the shine of the sun that blocked him from seeing. Picking himself up on weak, but getting steadily stronger as he regained his mind from the fear controlling it, legs and changing his angle, Yuta was surprised when a bright gleam caught his eye, barely dulled by the water.</p><p> </p><p>Thankfully, the shining object was near the edge of the pool and he groaned, knowing what he had to do but not wanting to think of it, let alone do it. Reluctantly rolling up his pant legs, Yuta waded in the shallow end of the water and leaned down to pick up the item, closing it in his fist without even looking at it and quickly jumping out of the pool. It, he guessed a necklace or a bracelet because of how small and shiny it was, was grimey and slippery due to the water and fell from his hand into the grass, settling onto the lush grass.</p><p> </p><p>Leaning back down to pick it up again, he immediately recognized it and let out a cry, clenching his fists around the polished silver bracelet. The omega turned and ran out of the center of the maze, tears flowing endlessly down his cheeks and his feet pounding against the bare icy ground. <em>No, no, no,</em> he repeated to himself, shaking his head, <em>No, no, no, no! It can't be! Please... </em>Turning another corner in the endless maze, he slammed right into somebody and knocked them both to the ground, blacking out at the impact.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When his eyes slowly fluttered open, he found himself staring up at a blank white ceiling and groaned softly as his eyes focused, his head still ringing from the impact in the maze. <em>Someone must've brought me to my room,</em> Yuta thought, trying to sit up but stopping when pain shot through him, <em>Is the other person okay? I have to ask...</em> Rubbing his forehead, he froze at a wet metal feeling brushing over his eyes and a droplet of water dripping down his cheek, remembering what he found in the fountain and tears brimming in his eyes once again.</p><p> </p><p>"Breathe," he told himself, managing to stay calmer than he had before, and he forced himself to drop the bracelet somewhere in the sheets, hoping he could forget about it and the old guard he'd given it to, "Just breathe."</p><p> </p><p>The omega shuddered, rolling over and swinging his legs over the side of the bed, and he sat up, despite the pain that was now a bit duller than before. Pulling his knees to his chest, he curled himself in a ball, still shirtless from when he'd taken off his sticky shirt at the fountain and now starting to get cold. <em>Wait...</em> his cheeks flushed red, <em>That means some stranger saw me and carried me up here while I was... shirtless.</em> The cool evening breeze he felt coming in from the open door to the balcony made him shiver again, but he wasn't sure if he was strong enough to get there and close it by himself.</p><p> </p><p><em>Hold on, a balcony?</em> his gaze scurried around the room, everything different than what he'd expected to see, <em>I'm not, oh god, I'm not in my room!</em> Fear and panic overtaking him as faint alpha pheromones met his nose, Yuta stumbled up and tried to run to the door, but he tried to run too fast on his weak legs and crashed into the nightstand next to the bed before slamming into the ground. The loud thud echoed around the room and he knew anyone would've heard the sound, including the alpha that had to be somewhere in the room or in an adjacent room, and it made him tremble a bit in fear.</p><p> </p><p>The click of what he realized was the balcony door closing was followed by light footsteps approaching the bed which was placed in the center of the large and sparsely furnished room. Crawling behind the beds shadow, he tried to hide himself from the stranger that was walking closer and closer to him, scared because he knew it wasn't Mark as the room didn't even closely resemble his. However, the scent was strangely similar and Yuta held out this strange hope that it was indeed Mark, <em>At least I know Mark and can try to deal with him, if it's a stranger... what would I even do?</em></p><p> </p><p>"Hey, don't be scared," the alpha said, doing his best to sound comforting but he didn't sound anything like Mark and that alone made Yuta whimper in fear, "I won't hurt you."</p><p> </p><p>Carefully picking the omega up, the stranger carried him to the bed and covered him with the soft warm blankets, but even so, Yuta refused to open his eyes and look at whoever was being so kind to him. <em>I would normally just run for the door, </em>he sighed, rolling away from the alpha that he could feel intensely staring at him, <em>But with my legs hurting this much, I won't even make it a couple steps.</em> Though he'd never thought it'd ever happen, he found himself almost missing Mark which made him roll his eyes, <em>I really am going crazy aren't I?</em></p><p> </p><p>"Who—" he choked on his words, still not turning to face the alpha, "Where, why—"</p><p> </p><p>"Umm... I saw you on the steps to the garden and I assumed you'd fainted, so I brought you here. Oh!" the other's tone changed to a much happier one and he forced Yuta to turn to face him and open his eyes, "And I'm Johnny."</p><p> </p><p>The alpha's harmless and cheery tone made the omega a bit more comfortable around him, though he still kept his walls up, "Do you live in the castle too?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yes, I do," Johnny answered calmly and passed him a folded shirt from where it sat on the nightstand, "I wasn't here to meet you yesterday, but Mark told me all about you."</p><p> </p><p>Eyes narrowing, he said nothing in response, taking some time to carefully choose his next words, but took the shirt that Johnny held out for him and slipped it on as quickly as possible. The omega had to sit up and expose his bare chest for a couple seconds to put on the shirt which made him feel slightly embarrassed, even though the other politely looked away to give him privacy. <em>He's so different and,</em> shrugging the shirt on, he stumbled through his thoughts, <em>Perfect, I guess? I don't get how him and Mark could've grown up together, yet ended up so different. </em>Desperately wanting to ask why, he almost did, but remembered how he wasn't supposed to stick his nose in others business and held himself back.</p><p> </p><p>However, still hoping to get some answers out of the alpha, Yuta did ask quietly, "You know Mark?"</p><p> </p><p>"Of course! My little brother is all grown up now, but he's still so short, isn't he? He still tells me everything, like he did when we were kids, and he couldn't stop ranting about how hot you looked when you were angry. It would've been funny if it wasn't so exhausting."</p><p> </p><p>"Mark thinks I'm... hot?"</p><p> </p><p>Laughing loudly, Johnny got up and brought him a glass of water, "Oh yes, he does and he just won't shut up about it," turning around and winking flirtatiously, he added jokingly, "Not like he's lying or anything, I see where he's coming from."</p><p> </p><p>Blushing a faint pink, the omega had a hard time keeping his feelings in check, Johnny making him feel so comfortable and he had to say he was getting attached. <em>But you're getting married to Mark tomorrow,</em> he scolded himself, gulping down the water and almost choking as he did, <em>This isn't the time to get attached to random alphas who are nice to you like once for fucks sake. </em>He groaned and placed the now empty glass on the nightstand so he wouldn't drop it or throw it at a wall in frustration, though he knew it was just from the kitchen and easily replaceable, he still didn't want to break it.</p><p> </p><p>Quickly changing the subject, he decided to interrogate Johnny instead, "If you're older than Mark, why is he king? Also, if I can ask, why are you two so different from each other? You're so kind and open and he's so cold..."</p><p> </p><p>Smiling in a sad way, the alpha looked down at his hands, playing absently with his sleeve, "I used to be like Mark, we grew up the same way after all, but I woke up."</p><p> </p><p>There was a silent pause and Yuta could tell there was much more to this sad story. He started to pity this group of cold broken people playing family as if they were doing their best to stay in their roles, but didn't know what their roles were supposed to be. <em>Now that I think about it,</em> he gazed softly at Johnny, giving the alpha the time he needed, <em>T</em><em>he dad is dead, the mom is controlling and spiteful and can't seem to say anything but hateful words, Johnny is the oldest brother but he doesn't even seem welcome or comfortable here, and Mark is the ignored second child who became a combination of all the terrible role models he had. This isn't a family, this is a group of cold broken people who are doing their best to be people they don't know how to be.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>i do know what heats the sun and Yuta probably does too, but this is fanfic so... shhh</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You don’t have to tell me about it,” Yuta whispered comfortingly, “I do need some help finding my friends, so we could talk about this later when you’re ready?”</p><p> </p><p>When the alpha nodded and stood up, he bit back any other questions he had and got up too, walking silently beside the alpha as they exited the room together. They walked in silence for a bit, making their way to the central staircase and both choosing to ignore the great level of awkwardness still resting between them. <em>I hope he's not awkward about being so open with me,</em> the omega thought, worrying that maybe Johnny had closed off to him again, <em>He seems so nice and I... I want another friend.</em> Reaching forward when they reached the staircase, he wrapped his hand around Johnny's arm and the other took the hint, escorting him down the steep stairs.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, I just realized I never asked," the alpha said, breaking the silence, "Who are your friends?"</p><p> </p><p>Almost facepalming at the fact that he'd never mentioned his friends' names, Yuta tried to awkwardly laugh it off, "They're my friends from my kingdom that escorted me here, Winwin and Taeil."</p><p> </p><p>"Winwin and Taeil? They're the ones who helped me unpack this morning, I just thought they were new servants here or something."</p><p> </p><p><em>Helped you unpack? New servants?</em> the omega snarled menacingly, making Johnny jump back in surprise, and then apologized immediately, "I'm sorry, Johnny," he said, relinking their arms, "I was just a bit insulted that my best friends were reduced to mere servants doing the dirty work for everyone here."</p><p> </p><p>The other smiled reassuringly, "No, Yuta, I completely get it. I'd say Mark made them do servants work because he was a bit jealous, considering how close you are to them."</p><p> </p><p>Turning a corner, Johnny led him down a hallway which he recognized as the one going down to the kitchen, but the omega soon pulled back when he saw Mark coming down the same hallway towards them. Confused, the alpha tugged him back and began dragging him rather forcefully down the hallway, not seeing Mark yet, and just thinking he'd gotten ansty or something like that. When he did see Mark, he understood immediately and clutched Yuta close to him, enveloping him in a back hug, and they somehow managed to waddle further down the hallway like that. <em>This is stupid</em><em>,</em> the omega thought, but still leaned back a bit into Johnny's arms, <em>He's trying so hard to make me more comfortable because I'm terrified of my future husband.</em></p><p> </p><p>Stiffening when they got closer, Mark's eyes narrowed and focused on Johnny's hand around his waist, seeming almost angered by how close they were though the omega knew he was jealous. <em>Weird,</em> he thought, analyzing the younger's body language, his clenched jaw and quivering fist drawing the most attention, <em>Why would he be jealous? He can fuck an omega, but I can't walk or hug another alpha. Plus, Johnny's his brother!</em> Slowing down as they got closer, it was obvious Mark wanted to say something, probably something possessive that would make a great example of peak 'alpha' behavior, but was biting his tongue out of respect for his older brother.</p><p> </p><p>Surprisingly, it was Johnny who spoke first, his voice snarkily sweet, clearly teasing the younger for being so obviously bothered by Yuta being so close to him, "Hello, Mark."</p><p> </p><p>"Johnny," the other replied curtly and quickly looked the two up and down, trying to be subtle about it though the omega caught him anyways.</p><p> </p><p>"Do you want to help Johnny and I find Winwin and Taeil?" he offered politely, wanting to get closer to Mark despite everything that had happened between them, <em>We're going to be getting married anyway.</em></p><p> </p><p>Nodding silently, the younger grabbed his arm and pulled him from Johnny's hug, linking their arms and escorting him down the hallway at a brisk pace. Purposefully dragging his feet so Johnny could run and catch up, Yuta was already regretting asking Mark to join them because, <em>Damn he walks fast!</em> Even worse was that the younger didn't seem to notice at all and, without even explaining, was dragging him off in some random direction that he could only hope was in the direction of Winwin and Taeil. Trying to send pleading eyes to Johnny as Mark was completely oblivious, he began to lose hope fast when he saw that Johnny had caught up and was just leisurely walking beside them.</p><p> </p><p>"Chill, little bro," Johnny finally intervened when he saw the omega beginning to pant from exertion, holding Mark back by placing a large hand on his shoulder, "You walk everywhere like you have a war to start."</p><p> </p><p>Halting completely, Mark fell silent. The older alpha tapped his shoulder and Yuta was sure it was meant as a 'bro' thing, but it just came off as rather awkward when Mark didn't react at all. <em>This is awful,</em> the omega whined, <em>I thought they'd be close because Johnny said Mark vented to him all the time, but they're... not.</em> Scratching his neck, Johnny seemed disappointed while Mark was unreadable, his expression void of any emotion and eyes completely blank. He wasn't moving or reacting and, even when Yuta tugged on his arm and tried to release as much of his sweet omega pheromones as possible, nothing brought him back to reality. Yuta was used to Mark acting cold towards him, but this wasn't cold, this was empty.</p><p> </p><p>"Well," Mark finally whispered softly, though the words carried an unknown weight, and he wrenched himself from Johnny's grip, "It wouldn't be you doing it, would you? You're not the king like you were supposed to be after all."</p><p> </p><p>Desperately reaching for the younger's arm, but failing when Mark moved out of his range, Johnny pleaded, "Mark—"</p><p> </p><p>"Winwin and Taeil are doing laundry with the servants around the back of the wash house."</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>Awkwardly arriving at the wash house, Yuta let out a sigh of relief when he saw the servants all grouped in a circle, <em>People at last, I swear the whole walk here was just another level of awkward. He didn't want to talk about it and I didn't want to ask and we were just walking with our hands in our pockets while looking at some point on the ground. </em>It was obvious to him now that Mark and Johnny weren't as close as he thought they were, though that left him confused as Johnny had said that the younger still ranted to him like back when they were kids. He so badly wanted to ask, his whole skin practically itching with curiosity, and though he tried his best, the omega knew he wasn't being particularly subtle about it.</p><p> </p><p>"You can ask," the alpha said calmly, warmly patting him on the back in hopes of making him more comfortable, "I'll answer any questions you have."</p><p> </p><p>Turning to Johnny, Yuta whispered softly, afraid of angering the other, "From what you said, I thought you two were close, but if I'd have known, I never would've invited him to join us. I'm sorry, it's my fault."</p><p> </p><p>"It's not your fault," Johnny cupped his cheeks and gently raised his chin so he was staring up at the taller, "And we are close, there are just some things we don't ever talk about. Him being king and my absence, they're like topics we just can't and don't ever touch," sighing, the alpha's eyes drooped sadly, "He has every right to be mad, it's my fault anyways, I'm the one who left."</p><p> </p><p>"You left? Was that after you... woke up?"</p><p> </p><p>Nodding, the alpha seemed strangely okay with talking about everything, even if he'd just met Yuta that very day, "I lost a couple people I cared about a lot and I travelled around for a bit to deal with it," he chuckled dryly, "I ran away."</p><p> </p><p>Reaching forwards, Yuta wrapped his arms around Johnny and pulled him into a tight hug, silently letting the other know he was being heard and that he cared for him. <em>It was probably in a battle or something,</em> the omega thought, <em>Might've lost some close friends and, because he was the leader, he blames himself for what happened.</em> Hugging him back, Johnny hummed softly, almost like a purr, and clutched him even closer, obviously comforted by the omega's sweet scent. Looking back, he waved awkwardly at a couple servants who were staring at the two hugging in confusion and motioned for them to continue working. <em>The last thing we need is some rumor going around because we were seen hugging, </em>Yuta worried, <em>What would Mark think of me? </em>he shook the thought from his head, <em>Why do I even care?</em></p><p> </p><p>"My boyfriend, who I was planning to marry, left me because I couldn't control myself and had someone executed for harassing him. He ran off with my best friend."</p><p> </p><p><em>What?</em> the omega thought, surprised by Johnny's sudden confession, "I'm sorry, that's terrible—"</p><p> </p><p>The alpha cut him off, "Don't apologize, it has nothing to do with you. I think I just needed to get it off my chest."</p><p> </p><p>"Well, if you ever need anything," Yuta said, pulling him towards the group of servants, "I'm here to listen and help. But," most of the servants close to him looked when they heard the omega speaking, "For now, let's help out."</p><p> </p><p>Looking around, he spotted a couple baskets of laundry next to a tub of clean water and he grabbed the baskets, motioning for Johnny to pick up the tub and follow him back to the circle of servants. Some tried to stand up and take the laundry from him, but Yuta waved them away, telling them that he was here to help and walking around the circle to sit down beside Winwin and Taeil. His friends both seemed exhausted and were too concentrated on scrubbing the laundry to notice his arrival, but that only made him giggle, especially when he saw Winwin's furrowed and somewhat furious expression.</p><p> </p><p>Tapping Winwin on the shoulder, the omega whispered, "Hey, Winwinnie."</p><p> </p><p>Snapping his head up, the alpha gasped in shock when he saw him and gripped him in a tight hug, "Yuta! I was so worried about you!" breathing in deeply, he sighed, "You weren't there when we went back to find you in the morning."</p><p> </p><p>"Me too!" Taeil pushed his way into the hug, "But, where were you this morning?"</p><p> </p><p>"I was with the servants and then ran into Mark—"</p><p> </p><p>"And he also fainted and I found him," Johnny added, letting the bucket of water fall to the ground with a thud and wiping the sweat from his forehead.</p><p> </p><p>"What?!" Taeil exclaimed, worriedly examining him for any bruises or cuts, "Did you get hurt?"</p><p> </p><p>Not wanting to answer, he chose to ignore them and sat down with a little thud, picking up a piece of laundry and beginning to scrub it in the bucket of water Johnny had just brought over. He'd never done laundry before, but after looking around at the other servants, Yuta found it wasn't as hard as he'd thought it was and got to work, not minding the other servants' curious glances at him. It was to be expected anyways, they'd probably never seen a royal anywhere near the servants, let alone helping out or doing the laundry. <em>I'm an outcast to the royals and I don't fit in with the servants either,</em> the omega thought sadly, picking up another piece of laundry and beginning to wash it, <em>If I'm not with Taeil, Winwin, or Johnny, I'm all... alone.</em></p><p> </p><p>"Don't you ignore me, Yuta!" Taeil leaned over and slapped him lightly on the shoulder, "Are you hurt?"</p><p> </p><p><br/>
"I'm fine, trust me," Yuta reassured both his friends, "I just had a... bad encounter with Mark and I ran off into some maze," he kept going, telling them a bit of what had happened, "I got freaked out, ran out of the maze, slammed into Johnny at the entrance, and fainted. He brought me to his room and made sure I was okay."</p><p> </p><p>Frowning, Johnny looked at him in confusion, eyebrows furrowing slightly, and mumbled, "But I didn't find you in the maze—"</p><p> </p><p>Cutting the alpha off, Winwin asked worriedly, inspecting the omega from where he was seated, though he surprisingly kept a little distance between them, "It's not like you to get scared easily, what was it?"</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, at the center of the maze, there was this creepy, though it wasn't working, fountain—"</p><p> </p><p>"You saw the fountain," Johnny stated, his entire happy demeanor changing to a serious one in a split second.</p><p> </p><p>"I didn't just see it, I waded in it to get a bracelet I saw and then got all disgusting because there's blood or something in the water," Taeil and Winwin made faces of disgust while the nearby servants who'd overheard looked away uncomfortably and Johnny didn't even react, "You should know that, I mean, you're the one I slammed into when I was running out of the maze."</p><p> </p><p>Frowning, Johnny looked at him, confused, "No, I found you on the steps to the garden, right outside the back door of the house. That's nowhere near the maze, let alone the fountain."</p><p> </p><p>"But that means... someone else carried me there?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dragging Johnny, Winwin, and Taeil back into the house with him after they'd finished helping out the servants, technically they'd been shooed us away after Johnny dropped a dress in the mud but <em> details</em>, Yuta sped up through the long hallways, following the directions a guard had given him to get to the study. None of them were protesting, seeming more than happy to tag along, which he was thankful for because he doubted he would've had the strength to pull any of them along, let alone Johnny, if they didn't want to come. <em> Johnny seems almost too willing to get dragged along by a random stranger who happens to be marrying his brother, </em> he thought, slightly confused but didn't think much about it, <em> Well, he’s probably just being nice and I need a friend anyways. </em></p><p> </p><p>Looking around semi-lost, he knew the study should be nearby because the library was on his right, but there were few people around and all the rooms were empty, none of them looking particularly like a king's office. <em>You've got to be kidding me,</em> the omega groaned as his eyes scanned the long hallway for any signs of life, no servant or guards in sight which didn't inspire much confidence. Thankfully, Johnny kept walking and the rest of them simply followed him, going a bit further down a side hallway and finally stopping in front of a large set of closed double doors.</p><p> </p><p>"This is it," Johnny announced, gesturing towards the doors, "He's normally either in his room or his study doing... king... stuff..."</p><p> </p><p>Cocking his head curiously, Yuta asked, "Like treaties and battle plans and... what?" he closed his eyes and tried to convince himself he wasn't stalling, "What do you do when you're king?"</p><p> </p><p>"Well—"</p><p> </p><p>"Okay," Winwin interrupted impatiently, pushing the omega towards the door, "Enough of just wasting time, you're going to have to talk to him anyways and this random conversation isn't helping with anything," the alpha placed a reassuring hand on the nape of his neck, "We'll be right out here if you need us."</p><p> </p><p>"Can you come in with me?" he asked, his voice quavering, and rushed to speak again when he saw Winwin frown, "I-I have to tell him something and I don't want him to get mad!"</p><p> </p><p>Stepping forwards, Taeil pulled him into his arms and petted his hair softly, releasing some of his calming pheromones, "We're going to be right outside the door, all you'll have to do is shout."</p><p> </p><p>"The room is actually soundproof," Johnny helpfully offered, earning a glare from Taeil and Winwin, "But! Um... we'll be here?"</p><p> </p><p>Straightening up again, Yuta pulled himself from Taeil's hug and breathed in deeply, "Okay, I've got this," he took another deep breath before hurrying back into Taeil's arms and pulling Winwin with him too, wanting to be close to both of them, "I don't got this."</p><p> </p><p>Sighing, both Taeil and Winwin worked to relax him, whispering sweet nothings and letting their calming scents wash over him, but nothing seemed to work, his anxiety still bubbled up inside him. After trying for a while with no change, Winwin pulled him out of Taeil's arms and into his, knowing the omega generally felt calmer and safer around him. When nothing changed again, he felt frustration burning under his skin and angrily thought, <em>This is supposed to work! It's basically biology, he's an alpha and I'm an omega, so why isn't it working?</em> he groaned almost inaudibly and clenched his fists, <em>Who am I kidding? It's my fault I'm panicking anyways, why am I trying to blame this on biology?</em></p><p> </p><p>To everyone's surprise, Johnny stepped forwards and pulled him, ignoring Winwin's warning growl, into a tight hug, making sure to nestle his nose into the crook of his neck where his scent was strongest. Yuta didn't expect it to work, but when he felt his whole body uncoil, he almost jumped backwards in shock, Johnny's tight grip the only thing preventing him from moving. <em>I don't get it,</em> he puzzled, confused but still taking the chance to calm himself slightly, <em>I don't even really like his scent. It smells a bit like home, but slightly stronger and more bitter, like coffee without milk or something.</em></p><p> </p><p>"I don't get it," Taeil voiced, his gaze flicking back and forth between the two alphas, "Why is he..." the beta trailed off, taking some time to think, before rewording his sentence, something he did quite often, "He's known Winwin since he was a kid, shouldn't he relax more when he's with Winwin and not you?"</p><p> </p><p>"His body's just catching up."</p><p> </p><p>Now it was Yuta's turn to be confused, not understanding what his body was catching up to or why it was even catching up in the first place, "Eh?"</p><p> </p><p>"You're going to marry Mark and eventually be mated to him and your body's beginning to understand that," the tall alpha explained, talking as if everything he was saying made complete sense, "After having been exposed to his scent enough times, your body's getting used to it and kinda like... accepting it?"</p><p> </p><p>Scratching his head and eyeing the door, Winwin questioned, "What does that have to do with him relaxing in your arms? You're not Mark and it's not like he can smell Mark from here."</p><p> </p><p>"No, I'm not, but I smell very similar to Mark because we're brothers. So, in a way, it's not really <em>me</em> relaxing him, it's <em>Mark's</em> scent that he's picking out of mine."</p><p> </p><p><em>Oh hell</em> <em>no</em>, the omega thought, immediately pushing himself away from Johnny which placed him awkwardly in the center of the three, and tried to get rid of Johnny's scent that he didn't want to admit smelled kinda good, <em>It smells like Mark, like alpha, like home— I've definitely gone off the rails crazy.</em> Nodding reassuringly to the three others, he took a moment to clear his mind from whatever <em>that</em> was, though he really just pushed it to the back of his mind, leaving it there for later which meant hopefully never. <em>I'm going to, you know,</em> he pointed to the door to the study before turning around and walking towards it, <em>I'm just going to do this and get it over with</em>, he placed a hand on the doorknob and straightened his posture,<em> Simple as that.</em></p><p> </p><p>Opening the door and padding softly into the room, Yuta breathed in deeply to calm himself before quietly mumbling, "Mark?"</p><p> </p><p>Facing away from him, his back to the omega and his focus on whatever papers were laid out on his desk, Mark visibly stiffened, his chest barely even rising as he breathed and his grip on the fountain pen tightening so much his knuckles turned white. Afraid the pen would snap in two, Yuta wrapped his hand around the younger's and peeled his fingers away, safely placing the pen to the side and mindlessly intertwining the fingers. <em>His hands are so rough,</em> he couldn't help but notice, now tracing the soft pads of his fingertips over Mark's rough palm, <em>Probably from battle training, it always is with Mark. I wonder how young he was when he started...</em></p><p> </p><p>"Do you need anything?" the alpha said, his words sounding slightly choked though he still tried to remain impassive and cold, "Or did you just come to pet my hand?"</p><p> </p><p>Pulling back slightly, he released the other's hand and whispered softly, "Can I ask you something?"</p><p> </p><p>Sighing, Mark looked down at the papers laid out on his desk, "Stop being so shy, it isn't like you," he tossed the papers aside and pulled Yuta so he was sitting on the desk where they were before, "Just go ahead and ask."</p><p> </p><p>Staying silent, the omega felt himself blush a faint shade of pink as he looked down at Mark's serious expression and realized that the alpha's hands were still resting on his thighs. Their position was less than innocent, his legs spread with Mark resting in between them, and a sudden warmth radiated from beneath his skin, reminding him of his imminent heat that he predicted was going to hit right on his wedding night. <em>I have to tell him eventually,</em> he reasoned, absently staring at the stray strand of Mark's hair that was sticking up before patting it down, <em>But I also want to know how I got from the maze to the entrance of the garden, it has to have been him.</em></p><p> </p><p>"Can I maybe ask you two questions?" he said sheepishly, removing his hands from Mark's hair when he realized he'd forgotten to.</p><p> </p><p>"Yuta..." the alpha groaned exasperatedly, "I don't have all day for this, there's a bunch of paperwork and planning and some... other things I need to do, so just ask," he waved his hands impatiently, "Quickly."</p><p> </p><p><em>Hopefully this one will go over this best,</em> Yuta thought before hurriedly asking as to not leave Mark enough time to change his mind, "Did you carry me from the maze to the steps at the entrance to the garden?"</p><p> </p><p>The alpha's jaw clenched and the grip on his thighs tightened almost painfully, making him whimper and then turn red in embarrassment which the alpha definitely noticed and looked up at him in surprise. Realizing why he'd whimpered, Mark loosened his grip and flexed his hand, but didn't move it, instead soothingly rubbing his thigh and releasing some of his dominant pheromones to try and calm the omega. To Yuta's shame but not surprise, it worked all too well and he not only relaxed, but leaned forwards and rested his body on the alpha's, nuzzling his nose into Mark's neck where the scent was strongest and letting it cover him like a heavy blanket. <em>This is stupid,</em> he thought, pushing himself up even and ignoring his inner omega that silently whined to be closer to the alpha, <em>He's just going to push me away again, I shouldn't even try.</em></p><p> </p><p>However, again to his surprise, Mark wordlessly grabbed the back of his thighs and pulled him from the desk to his lap, keeping the omega close and pushing his head back into the crook of the alpha's neck. Trying to act as if he wasn't surprised, he didn't fight back, though that was maybe because he liked being so close to the younger but he'd never admit that, and let Mark adjust him in his lap so they were both as comfortable and as close as possible. <em>This is... nice,</em> Yuta thought, slightly surprised and part of him wanted to pull away but he gave in to the pleas of his omega side and remained straddling the alpha, <em>Not like he would just let me get up,</em> he glanced up at Mark who had his eyes closed and seemed to be comforted by the omega's scent much like he was by Mark's, <em>Not like I would want to get up anyways.</em></p><p> </p><p>"I did," the alpha suddenly answered his question, his voice quiet yet the power behind it was undeniable, "I saw Johnny coming, so I left you at the steps where he wouldn't be able to miss you."</p><p> </p><p>"Why did you let him find me instead of taking care of me yourself? Why did you leave me?" Yuta asked, fully aware he sounded like a whiny bitch after a break up but choosing not to care.</p><p> </p><p>Sighing heavily, his breath tickling the omega's neck, Mark rubbed his eyes with his left hand before explaining, being much more honest and upfront than the other thought he'd be, "Johnny and I aren't on... great terms as you might've noticed and I didn't think you'd want to wake up to see me."</p><p> </p><p>"Or you just haven't cleaned your room yet, is that it?" he joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere though it all came crashing down when his curiosity got the better of him, "Can I ask... why? You're brothers, what's gotten between you two?"</p><p> </p><p>"He dumped all of this," Mark gestured to the room around him, "On me."</p><p> </p><p>Staying quiet, the omega didn't ask the younger any more questions about, surprised that he'd gotten even that much out of Mark and not wanting to push his luck any further. Though he was still undeniably confused, he knew it'd be better to not ask for clarification, <em>Mark's a wild card, he can be nice one second and pissed off the next. I don't know why and I can't predict it, so it's safer to not push him too hard.</em> When Mark lightly grabbed his hips and pulled him impossibly closer, snuggling into his neck, Yuta simply smiled and let the alpha do as he wanted, not like he minded anyways.</p><p> </p><p>"You know," the alpha whispered, continuing even though Yuta expected him not to, "He left when I was fourteen. First, it was Jaehyun and Taeyong who disappeared and then Johnny. I," his breath was choppy and laboured, "I lost everyone. Everyone I ever looked up to, everyone I ever admired, were just... gone."</p><p> </p><p>Softly shushing the younger, he wiped the single tear that was slowly rolling down Mark's cheek, "Shh, it's okay. I've got you, Mark, I'm right here."</p><p> </p><p>"And Johnny left all of this," he gestured to the papers on the desk, angrily this time as another tear dripped down his cheek, "For me to deal with. He was supposed to be doing the paperwork and leading the battles, he was supposed to be king," Mark started shaking, though it wasn't because he was crying, it was out of anger, "I was supposed to be happily married to an omega from another kingdom with a small family and no duties other than shaking hands and interacting with the people."</p><p> </p><p>"We can still do that, Mark," Yuta tried to reassure him, "We can talk with the people, we can help the servants, we can shake hands, and we can..." he bit his tongue to prevent the bile from rising up in his throat at the thought of it, "...eventually have a family."</p><p> </p><p>"Everything was supposed to be perfect. Everything was supposed to be simple and easy," the alpha said, fists clenching and gripping Yuta's shirt before quickly releasing when he realized what he was doing, "I was supposed to be just another carefree fourteen-year-old kid, running around and playing instead of training to fight in the army. I was supposed to be having sleepovers with my friends, not lying in a tent crammed with three other soldiers with dreams plagued by images of crawling over blood-soaked dead bodies. I was supposed to be eating cake at my brother's coronation, but instead I was ripping the crowns off of enemy kings severed heads."</p><p> </p><p>A heart-wrenching sob violently ripped itself out of Mark's chest and the omega felt tears fall down his own cheeks as he realized just how miserable, alone, and traumatized the younger was. Every one of Mark's words sounded like he was begging to be saved, to be taken away somewhere safe and cocooned in a tight hug until he fell asleep.</p><p> </p><p>"I was supposed to be... happy."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>(tw: some of the childhood events mentioned could be disturbing to some readers)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The omega stayed with Mark until the younger had stopped shaking, not quite sure if the alpha would want Yuta to see him like this but refusing to leave. <em>I might pay for this later,</em> he thought, closing his eyes again and gently shushing the alpha to try to calm him again, <em>He'll probably yell at me for seeing him like this, wanting to keep up that strong king image or whatever. Yeah...</em> patting Mark's back, he bit back a groan, <em>I'm so dead.</em></p><p> </p><p>Clearing his throat, Mark tried to collect himself with shaky breaths and the omega rubbed his back, soothing him through it shushing him gently. However, he quickly froze when the alpha suddenly stood up, instinctually wrapping his legs around Mark's waist and grappling at the other's shirt to try to prevent himself from falling backwards. Thankfully, Mark's hands moved to hold underneath his thighs and hoisted him up, his strength surprising Yuta a bit, <em>It really doesn't match that baby face.</em></p><p> </p><p>"Come with me," the alpha commanded, pausing for a second before softening his tone a bit, "Please?"</p><p> </p><p>"Of course," Yuta agreed, cupping the younger's face in his hands and playfully poking his nose, and then added, "You learning to say please now, are you?"</p><p> </p><p>Huffing in fake frustration, Mark didn't put him down and began walking to the door, "I can unlearn it too."</p><p> </p><p>Laughing softly, he teasingly pawed at the alpha's chest to try and get him to laugh a little, but it only provoked the other to grip him tighter in his arms. The omega fell limp at the rough touch and blushed in his embarrassment, <em>Just perfect. A great time for my subby omega side to decide to have a strength kink.</em> Definitely noticing his submissive reaction, Mark teasingly squeezed his thighs again, hoping to get him to react, and Yuta instinctually tightened his legs around the other's waist, using all his strength to bite back a whimper.</p><p> </p><p>"I fucking hate you," the omega spit out, not even remotely angry or annoyed, instead pouting and propping his head on Mark's shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>"I'll believe it when I see it, gorgeous."</p><p> </p><p>Pushing his office door open, never releasing Yuta from his embrace, Mark stepped out into the hallway only to freeze awkwardly when he met three sets of curious eyes on them. <em>I forgot about them,</em> the omega thought, grimacing as he tried to think of a lie before just sighing, <em>I'll let Mark figure this out, he's the one carrying me after all.</em> Ignoring the couple of nervous nudges Mark gave him as well as his three friends questioning looks, he decided to get revenge on the alpha for earlier and nipped at his ear, satisfied when Mark tensed up. Taeil raised his eyebrows in shock at the action and Johnny coughed as if to remind him they were there, but Winwin's reaction surprised him the most; a flicker of pain and sadness in his eyes before his expression seemed to morph into an impassive stone facade.</p><p> </p><p>"So..." Johnny said, drawing out the word to fill the silence, "Um, what's going on here?"</p><p> </p><p>Mark was silent for a second, the tension between the two still there and the awkwardness of the situation wasn't helping, but eventually he replied, "We're going upstairs."</p><p> </p><p><em>Oh god,</em> the omega thought, <em>I should've said something. Why did he say that? Did he think that was really a good answer? One job,</em> groaning, he rubbed his eyes in exasperation, <em>Just don't make it sound like we're about to fuck. You had one fucking job.</em></p><p> </p><p>"What?" Taeil asked, surprised and quite obviously panicking, "No, this is improper— What if someone saw? Your reputation—"</p><p> </p><p>"They're getting married tomorrow," Winwin interrupted coldly, his voice low and... <em>and just sad</em>, "Leave them alone. I'm going back to the kitchen to help out."</p><p> </p><p>He turned on his heel and left, Yuta immediately reaching out towards him, but shrinking back when Winwin ignored him, and Taeil bowing an apology before hurrying to run after Winwin. Though his heart had plummeted to the bottom of his stomach, the omega faked a small smile and loosened his grip on Mark, tapping lightly to signal he wanted down. Hesitating before gripping him tighter, Mark stroked his long red hair reassuringly, making his heart flutter stupidly at the small show of affection. His eyes met Mark's and they stared at each other; first just softly and then suddenly it became a high stakes staring contest, neither of them wanting to be the one to back out.</p><p> </p><p>Interrupted again by one of Johnny's loud coughs, both of them groaned, breaking eye contact at the same time to send the other alpha a glare, and Mark muttered lowly under his breath, "What? Are you sick?"</p><p> </p><p>"Okay," Johnny said, getting the message, "I'm just going to," he awkwardly pointed in the direction Winwin and Taeil had left, "Gonna just— You know," when the omega raised an eyebrow, he nodded, "Right, um, Mark I'd like to catch up sometime, so just come find me, I guess. And I hope I see you around too, Yuta. Now I'm just... yeah, bye-bye."</p><p> </p><p>Turning on heel and practically running away, Johnny left and Mark didn't hesitate to walk quickly in the other direction, carrying Yuta down the hallway to an apparent dead end. <em>Well,</em> Yuta said, looking back and forth before sighing in disappointment, <em>A brilliant sense of direction, I must say. Simply unparalleled.</em> However, to his surprise, the alpha reached towards the wall and pressed against it four times before stepping back and letting the secret door swing open to reveal a hidden staircase leading up into the dark.</p><p> </p><p>"Whoa," he looked up in awe, squirming in Mark's arms to get a better view, "Does this go up to the royal wing?"</p><p> </p><p>"You'll see," the younger chuckled and began walking up a couple steps, the door swinging shut behind them, "The back passages have always been my favourite parts of the court."</p><p> </p><p>Smiling to hide his nervousness, Yuta clung closer to the alpha and tried to brush over the fear he knew the other could smell in his scent, "Why do you have these? Was it for spying or something?"</p><p> </p><p>"Close, they were built into the walls so the royals could escape if the court got attacked," Mark explained, calm despite the fact that they were climbing stairs in the practical dark, "The castle hasn't been under attack for at least five hundred years, so none of the previous royals ever used them. I know these paths by heart because I used to do training in the castle."</p><p> </p><p>"You trained in here? It's pitch dark in here, how could you even see?"</p><p> </p><p>"I couldn't, still can't. That was the challenge," the younger stopped moving, hearing movement on the other side of the wall, "Can you run, unarmed, through a dark labyrinth with enemies waiting for you at every turn and manage to not die? It's harder than you think. If you trip, you get jumped and you're beaten. If you take too long, they're waiting for you when you exit and you're whipped. If you get scared and try to hide, they eventually find you and you're stabbed."</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Beaten. Whipped. Stabbed.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>"How?" Yuta gasped hoarsely, "How did they train you for that?"</p><p> </p><p>Continuing to climb the staircase, Mark seemed unreadable in the darkness, "We played a little game. I was the weaponless king on the run and they were the murderers that'd infiltrated the court. Everything was exactly like it was if it'd been real except I never died, instead living to play the next day."</p><p> </p><p>"Oh god," the omega groaned, tears pricking at his eyes as he imagined Mark as a child running through these hallways, terrified and alone, "N-no. That's awful, I-i'm so sorry," he sniffled as Mark tried to shush him comfortingly, "How old? When they put you through this, hold old were you?"</p><p> </p><p>"I don't remember."</p><p> </p><p>Grasping either side of Mark's face and pressing their noses together, he whispered, "Don't lie, Mark. You were young and y-you were so a-alone, I can't i-imagine how you must've felt. I-i'm so s-sorry."</p><p> </p><p>"I started watching the soldiers train when I was four or five and I began simple exercises maybe a year later. This was later though, I think I was maybe... seven or so."</p><p> </p><p>Blinking rapidly as a couple more tears dripped from his eyes and then trailed down Mark's cheeks, Yuta tried to compose himself, "S-sorry, I'm a bit emotional close to my heat. It's an omega thing, I think."</p><p> </p><p>"You've nothing to be sorry for," the alpha comforted him, stopping at the top of the staircase and quickly opening the door to step out into the light as soon as possible, "This is just a part of who you are and, yeah, it might suck at times, but that's just how it is. My childhood is a part of me and sometimes I hate it, but I don't dwell on it because it made me who I am. I both can't and won't change that."</p><p> </p><p>They'd exited the dark passageways right in what he assumed to be Mark's room and the younger softly placed Yuta down on the edge of the bed, crouching between his thighs and carefully wiping his tears. When the omega stopped crying, embarrassment made his cheeks flush a bright pink, <em>I can't believe I cried like that in front of him. Over what, his past?</em><em> No, you know why. </em>Faking a smile, he leaned down a bit and pressed a soft kiss to the alpha's forehead, standing up and stumbling towards the huge french doors leading to the balcony to try to get some fresh air.</p><p> </p><p>Throwing both doors open, Yuta let the cool air billow over him, pushing his robes back to accentuate his lean body and small curves, common in omegas though they were less evident in rare male omegas. He closed his eyes and laughed airily, wishing everything away and hoping to forget everything about Mark's past and what it brought up about his own. However, when he turned back to face Mark, he found the alpha standing right behind him, hands hovering above his waist and piercing eyes seeing right through any mask the omega attempted to put up. His smile cracked immediately, sadness shattering his fake carefree expression, and he shuddered, interlacing his arms behind Mark's neck and taking comfort in his presence.</p><p> </p><p>"Don't be afraid to talk to me," the alpha whispered, walking him back towards the center of the room, "I'm right here and I know something's wrong. Please, trust me."</p><p> </p><p>Nodding, Yuta rested his head on Mark's shoulder and sighed, "There were a lot of... expectations. I had to be the perfect omega, practically an obedient housekeeper with no opinions and no purpose but to please. I tried, Mark," he breathed out shakily, tears welling up in his eyes again, "I really did."</p><p> </p><p>Humming in understanding, the younger rubbed his back and seemed to falter at the feeling of the omega's tight corset, "I know what that's like too and I get it, it's like we're never enough."</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah, that's exactly it. I was never enough, never perfect, never what an omega should be," <em>Do you trust him?</em> "We don't have passageways in our castle, but there's an elaborate underground prison system," <em>Yes, I do,</em> "Every time I misbehaved, they put me there."</p><p> </p><p>Surprised that Yuta, a rare male omega who was considered extremely valuable, had experienced something similar to what he had, Mark asked to be sure, "They locked you up?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yes. Each time they threatened me by saying that they might have to get an alpha to teach me," Mark's grip tightened around his waist in anger, "To beat and abuse me until I didn't fight. Until I was <em>perfect</em> in their eyes."</p><p> </p><p>A dark growl rumbled in the alpha's chest and he placed a hand on Mark's heart to feel the rapid pulse, "They eventually did carry through with their threat," his lips tilted upwards sadly at the memory, "His name was Winwin."</p><p> </p><p>The omega's memories flashed before his tear filled eyes. He remembered when Winwin first quietly walked into the dark cell and pulled him into a tight hug instead of hurting him; when Winwin agreed to help ease the pain during his third heat; when he was four months in the cell with Winwin as company for recklessly cutting his hair. His father had tried to seperate them, but even with guards pulling them away from each other with all their strength, they wouldn't let go.</p><p> </p><p>There was also Taeil. He remembered the first time they'd heard the light footsteps walking down the hall and then Taeil had appeared, betraying Yuta's father who was the king himself, to bring them some food and fresh clothes. The beta was thrown into the cell with them soon after and he'd repeat stories his grandmother had told him until both Winwin and Yuta fell asleep in his arms. It was Taeil who'd managed to convince his aging father that he could help teach Yuta what he needed to know if only they were all released.</p><p> </p><p>"Despite everything, Winwin, Taeil, and I were best friends. It didn't matter if we were all locked in some cell, I was happiest when I with them," he barely even noticed Mark's hands undoing the intricate knots of his corset and slipping it off to let him breathe, "You know, in the end when I look back on it all..."</p><p> </p><p>Mark lifted him up and carried the omega to bed, laying him down on his chest, and, after a couple moments of silence, he cautiously prompted, "When you look back on it...?"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm happy it happened," he whispered, "I'm happy because I met my best friends and it made me who I am. I happy because it brought me here."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mark held Yuta close to his chest, gently petting his hair to soothe him, and, though the omega's eyelids fluttering closed as exhaustion took over him, he wasn't able to fall asleep. It was the first time he'd told someone other than Taeil or Winwin about his past and a deep unsettling feeling was lying heavy in his stomach. <em>What if he uses it against me? </em>he thought anxiously, <em>Now that he knows everything, he holds all the power. What if he... what if he isn't better than any other alpha around here?</em></p><p> </p><p>"Yuta?" Mark whispered softly, his hand falling from his hair to his waist, "I just wanted to make sure that, um, you won't..."</p><p> </p><p>Placing his hands on either side of Mark and propping himself up, the omega did his best to smile reassuringly, though sleepiness pulled the corner of his lips downwards, "I won't what?"</p><p> </p><p>"You won't tell anyone what I told you, right?" the alpha's voice was hesitant and strained, fear flickering briefly in his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>"I won't, just don't tell anyone about my... past either, please."</p><p> </p><p>Nodding, Mark agreed but didn't seem too confident, "Alright, but do you promise?"</p><p> </p><p>"I promise," Yuta whispered, falling back onto Mark's chest and nuzzling into alpha's neck where the alluring scent was the strongest.</p><p> </p><p>Smiling at the older's actions, Mark grasped one of his hands and began to draw circles on it, receiving a happy sigh and lulling the other to sleep. Though he planned to go back downstairs to finish his work, Yuta's fingers were tangled in his hair and his body was pressed so close it was impossible for Mark to move. It was slowly getting warmer, the omega's upcoming heat making his skin hot to the touch, and the alpha felt his hair begin to stick to his sweaty forehead. After struggling with Yuta for a while, he managed to throw his sticky shirt onto the floor somewhere before Yuta pinned him down again by throwing his leg around Mark's waist.</p><p> </p><p><em>Will you be good until after the wedding? </em>the alpha thought worriedly, Yuta's heat was approaching at a frightening rate, <em>Or maybe I could...</em> "I could use this to postpone the wedding that neither of us want," he whispered, excitement lighting up his eyes, <em>We'll have more time to get to know each other and it'll be less rushed.</em></p><p> </p><p>Wanting to immediately go tell the court officials his new suggestion for the wedding, he sat up, but the omega on his chest roughly pulled him back down, quietly groaning something about sleeping. Once again, Mark was trapped and he groaned in frustration, racking his mind for any idea of how to free himself, <em>If I push him away, he'll wake up. If I move, he'll pull me closer. I am... truly stuck.</em></p><p> </p><p>After much thinking and struggle, he managed to slip a pillow between himself and Yuta and, when he moved away, the omega grabbed onto it instead of him. Not noticing the difference, Yuta buried his head into the feathery pillow, allowing Mark to softly press his lips to the omega's forehead, throw on a shirt, and quietly slip out of the room.</p><p> </p><p>Once outside, he sped down the hall, then down the stairs, and finally into the meeting room where he rang his mother and the court officials. Minutes later, his mother walked in the room and they stayed in cold silence until everyone else arrived in a rush. Gesturing for them to be seated, Mark paced about his chair, still not speaking, as he thought of the best way to approach the subject. Evidently confused and getting impatient, everyone except for his mother, who was impassive as always, was starting to fidget in the seats and some even opened their mouths to speak before nervously closing them.</p><p> </p><p>"There's a problem with the wedding date," Mark stood at the head of the table with his hands in his pockets, exuding dominance.</p><p> </p><p>"Sir, this is rather last minute," one official dared to say, looking anywhere but at Mark, "I mean, preparations are already underway."</p><p> </p><p>"I understand that," the alpha picked up a quill and twirled it in between his fingers, "But, Yuta's heat is approaching too fast and it would be best to postpone it until after. I don't want to cut the ceremony short if something happens and it'd be best if he had a completely clear mind anyways."</p><p> </p><p>Scoffing, his mother rapped her fingers on the table, the only one who stared him down with an angry defiance, "Your future husband is a <em>whore</em> who has spent many heats with other alphas. This shouldn't even be a concern in the first place, let alone one that you'd postpone such an important event for."</p><p> </p><p>"Shut your mouth, <em>mother</em>," Mark snapped, "I sat by and watched you taint him with unproven accusations once, but not again," even if it was true that Yuta had been with Winwin, his anger burned bright at his mother's words, "If you force me to pick between you two, know that you won't be my choice."</p><p> </p><p>Looking at him like he was a little child throwing a tantrum, his mother let out a mocking laugh, "You'd choose an omega like him over your own family?"</p><p> </p><p>"Without hesitation. I'm warning you, tread lightly."</p><p> </p><p>She fell silent at his words, pursing her lips and looking away, and a triumphant smile danced across Mark's lips before he regained his composure once more. Meanwhile, the officials awkwardly looked on, their gazes flicking between the two, as the tension in the air settled over the meeting. It was broken by an official's badge dropping to the ground and he apologized, pushing his chair back with a screech and picking it up.</p><p> </p><p>"I think that is a wise choice," a head official spoke up, many others nodding in agreement, "Though we would all like the wedding to be as soon as possible, Prince Yuta's safety is of utmost importance to all of us, I'm sure."</p><p> </p><p>"Great," Mark said, feeling very pleased though he didn't let it show, “We’ll postpone it two weeks, enough time for his heat to pass and for him to recover."</p><p> </p><p>"Two weeks is outrageous!" his mother hissed, eyes aflame, "How long will you postpone the needs of your country for some omega?!"</p><p> </p><p>Cocking his head, he merely chuckled in response, invalidating her words with the power in his stance, "Are you questioning my priorities? My loyalty to my own people?"</p><p> </p><p>Again, she looked away, beaten at her own game, and clenched her fists in frustration. Smirking, Mark didn't even bother trying to dissolve the tension, instead relishing the victory over someone he hated so much, <em>You were the one who chose to hand this position to me. You could've been in power until I was ready. Now, what? Can't handle my choices as king? Ridiculous. </em>The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and Mark pointed to the door with a low growl, silently dismissing all the officials. Hurriedly, they obeyed, his tense body and coiled muscles more than enough of a threat to make his order clear, even to another alpha.</p><p> </p><p>However, in defiance, his mother didn't move an inch and, despite being an omega, she acted unaffected by his wild pheromones that quickly spread across the room. Looking her down, Mark groaned and rubbed his eyes, not wanting to deal with her attitude and the scolding he was probably going to get. At the same time, he refused to give in to her like he normally would, thoughts of Yuta lying exhausted and teary in his arms preventing him from backing down.</p><p> </p><p>"Mother," the alpha said softly, grasping her extended hand and helping her up, "I apologize," Mark did his best to not gag as he sweetly uttered the words he knew she wanted to hear, "Yuta is just very important to me and I don't want his safety compromised."</p><p> </p><p>"I'm glad you care so much about him, I'm just worried," the same fake sweetness he'd used laced her own words, "I don't want you to get hurt when you realize your feelings aren't returned."</p><p> </p><p><em>Don't fall for it. She's just trying to manipulate you, as always,</em> he told himself, closing his eyes and forcing a smile before calmly responding, "That'll remain to be seen later I suppose."</p><p> </p><p>Leaning forwards, she whispered tauntingly, "Goodday, Markie."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Opening the door of his room and then closing it with a slam, his fists were shaking, his vision was narrow and shaky, and every last piece of his willpower was just trying to hold himself together. Tripping over his own feet, the alpha stumbled towards the balcony and threw open the french doors, running outside and gulping in lungfuls of the cool air. Deaf to the world around him, he felt light and carefree, nothing around him registering in his mind as the cold pricked at his blankly opened eyes. Mark completely forgot about the omega he'd left sleeping peacefully on his bed as his thoughts were thrown into the past.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>A voice was cooing softly, no words discernible yet as the gentle sound floated around his head, making him clutch his head from dizziness. He'd been here many times before; it started off dark with the cooing, then came the blinding light flooding all his senses, and soon he was taller and there were hands grabbing his. Normally, Mark would fight back, trying to close his mind off to many of the details that overwhelmed his senses, but this time he didn't, no strength left to fight. The hands were large and rough and attached to them were muscular arms, a well-built body, and gleaming brown eyes.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Those eyes... they had a playfulness and youth to them that Mark barely remembered anytime other then when he was here. The edges crinkled as he smiled, the circular glasses slid his nose as he laughed, and stray wisps of hair fell in front of him when he leaned down to look Mark in the eye. And there he was, an impressive golden cloak draped over his broad shoulders and several large heavy rings weighing down his fingers.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Hey, little guy," he whispered and pressed a kiss to young Mark's cheek, "Can you promise me something?"</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Young Mark nodded silently, watching enraptured as a blue butterfly landed in the other's hair and tumbled through the gorgeous locks before being gently caught on an outspread palm. The man's laugh filled his ears and, even though the smile was slightly crooked, it was beautiful. He felt safe and treasured; Mark felt at home.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Sitting down with a sigh so he was at Mark's level, he looked up at the sky, "Some day, Johnny will be king and you'll be married to an omega from another kingdom. Maybe you'll even have a family just..."</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>After a moment of silence, young Mark wrapped his arms around the other in a hug, "Papa?"</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Just promise me that, no matter someones rank, you'll treat everyone equally. Promise me that you won't let someones rank as alpha, beta, or omega affect how you think or treat them."</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>As he heard the gentle voice, Mark couldn't stop the tears from welling up in his eyes and wondered why he had chosen to fight rather than listen the other times he'd been here. Though it was obvious that young Mark didn't understand the words and message he was being told, he nodded and agreed, wanting to please his kind Papa who seemed so worried. It was almost like these words were ingrained in Mark's memory because of both the message they held and the person who'd delivered them.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Of course, Papa," young Mark answered, clapping his hands and smiling brightly too, his smile almost an exact duplicate of his fathers.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Thank you for doing that for Papa. Thank you, Markie."</em>
</p><p> </p><p><em>Markie... Markie, Mark, Mark, </em>Mark, "Mark!"</p><p> </p><p>Startling from his memory when a strained voice called his name and desperate hands tugged at his arm, the alpha looked to his side to see a worried Yuta looking at him with eyes full of worry and confusion. The omega's hair was still tousled from sleep and his baggy shirt was blowing in the strong frozen evening breeze, but despite the cold, his cheeks were flushed red, just another sign of his upcoming heat.</p><p> </p><p>"Y-yea?" he answered hoarsely, slowly blinking away the images that were still burning in his mind.</p><p> </p><p>Gently brushing some stray hairs to the side of Mark's face, Yuta guided him back inside, "Are you okay?"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm fine, just..." the alpha took a deep breath and braced himself for the other's reaction to what he was about to say, "I just haven't been that honest with you and there are some things I need to tell you."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Immediately, Yuta's entire demeanor changed and he nodded stiffly, robotically closing the doors to the balcony and going to sit on the edge of the bed as if he was on autopilot. Following close behind, now he himself worried about the other, Mark chose to sit on the floor in front of the omega, not caring about their rank and how most alphas would feel demeaned to be below an omega. <em>Funny, </em>he thought as he crossed his legs to make himself comfortable, <em>Only twenty minutes ago, I would've cared, but now I don't. It's like I know this is what Papa would've wanted and, because of that, I'm okay with it.</em></p><p> </p><p>"I know you probably don't want to hear this and I don't want to hurt you anymore, but I did sleep with another omega, obviously, and... I'm sorry. I truly am," afraid of being rejected, he quickly tried to explain, "It was just a favor to a friend who was caught in heat at a bad time and, though I know that's no excuse, I want you to know it didn't mean anything."</p><p> </p><p>"There's an <em>anymore</em> to what you first said? So you did want to hurt me before?" Yuta asked shakily, his hands clenching into angry fists though the stricken look on his face was one of fear and betrayal.</p><p> </p><p>"No, of course not!"</p><p> </p><p>Shaking his head, the omega reached out to softly cup his face, "You said you were going to be honest, Mark. Please, don't lie to me."</p><p> </p><p>"I—" Mark took a deep breath and closed his eyes, "When you first came, I didn't like you. Hated you actually. You were so different from any other omega I'd interacted with and it made me self conscious, so I stupidly lashed out against you," <em>It's hard to put it into words,</em> he thought, silently pleading that Yuta would understand, "It was wrong and stupid and I realize that now, so I'm trying to be better."</p><p> </p><p>It was silent for a moment as Yuta thought of what exactly to say, carefully thinking everything through and taking time to make sure he said the right thing. They were very different in this way with Mark generally saying the first thing that came to mind despite appearing cold and calculated while Yuta tended to think most things through and was very careful about others feelings. <em>It's like we're opposites,</em> the alpha thought as he waited for the omega to be ready to speak, <em>Totally cliché, but it makes me feel all warm and bubbly inside.</em></p><p> </p><p>"Okay," the omega fluffed Mark's hair and smiled, visibly relaxing as he spoke, "I accept your apology."</p><p> </p><p>Coming up to his knees, Mark grinned cheekily and pulled the omega into a hug, "Thank you."</p><p> </p><p>"But, I do have a question."</p><p> </p><p>Though he was bracing himself for something bad, the alpha knew he couldn't close himself off now, "Ask away."</p><p> </p><p>"Did it mean anything to the omega you were with? What if they're hurt by you a—" Yuta's voice cracked and he coughed a couple times before continuing, "What if they're hurt by you abandoning them?"</p><p> </p><p>"I don't think it meant anything to him either," he responded carefully, watching Yuta's expression to try to judge his reaction, "He has an alpha, but things aren't going too good between them right now."</p><p> </p><p>Mark tensed in worry when the omega pulled back and frowned, "Aren't you breaking them further apart by taking advantage of the situation?"</p><p> </p><p>"I wasn't trying to take advantage of what was going on, but he begged me to help him and I couldn't refuse. If I said no, he'd have to call a... service."</p><p> </p><p>Services were alphas available to help omegas without partners through their heats in exchange for payment, but everyone had heard the hellish stories of omegas getting marked against their will. They'd gone from an empowering resource for an omega who chose to live without an alpha to a dangerous exchange that never ended well for the weaker of the two. If an omega called a service, it was practically giving themselves away to a stranger who'd most likely mark them, mate them, and they'd be forced to live together for the rest of their life. When Yuta shuddered at the word, Mark held out hope that he would understand and at least not judge his friend too harshly for his decisions.</p><p> </p><p>"I think I'd like to meet him and get to know him better," the omega noticed that Mark was still on his knees and pulled him up to sit on the bed too, "From how you talk about him, he seems nice."</p><p> </p><p>Though Mark was surprised by Yuta wanting to meet him, he offered, "I can introduce you two later if you'd like," he took a deep cautious breath, "But I have something else to tell you too."</p><p> </p><p>Laughing lightly to try to lift the tension that'd settled in the room, Yuta did his best to crack a joke, "Keeping more secrets from me, huh?"</p><p> </p><p>The alpha chuckled, though slightly awkwardly, in return and spoke gently, "I asked to postpone the wedding to be after your heat."</p><p> </p><p>When the omega fell silent for a second, Mark began to internally panic, <em>What if he misunderstands and thinks I want to call this off? What if he pulls back from me? I felt like we were finally making progress in understanding each other, even if that was basically just sympathizing over our pasts, and I don't want him to close himself off</em> <em>again</em>, he leaned towards the older and reached out to hold him close, but pulled back, afraid of Yuta's reaction,<em> What if he thinks he did something wrong? What if he thinks this is his fault? What if?</em></p><p> </p><p>"Stop thinking so hard, Mark, it's practically like I can hear you," Yuta grabbed the alpha's hand and scented it softly to relax him, a gesture omegas generally only did to their pups, "Can I ask... why? Did I do something wrong?"</p><p> </p><p>"No!" the alpha panicked, hurriedly scenting the omega's nape in return, his dominant pheromones draping over the other like a claim, "You're... you're perfect."</p><p> </p><p>Sitting like that for a little, Yuta was still clearly waiting for him to explain while Mark was just distracted, heavily scenting the other to make sure that alphas a mile away knew he was taken. The older smelled heavenly to the alpha, his pheromones sweet and intoxicating, a fusion of slightly sharp blood orange and soft dark chocolate. Unable to resist, Mark needily gulped in more of the scent and only remembered the conversation they were in the middle of when Yuta shifted in his arms to be closer.</p><p> </p><p>"I wanted to make sure you were okay," Mark whispered, "That's why I postponed it, I mean," breathing in more of the older's scent to calm his nerves and hopefully stop stumbling over his words, "And I know you aren't comfortable with me yet, so you can ask whoever you like to help with your heat. Winwin, Taeil, or Johnny, or anyone."</p><p> </p><p>Nodding, Yuta thanked the other and then cupped the alpha's cheek, searching his face for anything and looking confused, "You've changed a lot, Mark. I won't lie, you were," there was a pause as he tried to find the right word, "Insufferable. Rude. A complete prick. Maybe even slightly sadistic. Where'd that all go?"</p><p> </p><p>Shrugging and shifting away, the younger visibly closed himself off and tried to avoid the question, "Dunno, I guess I had a realization."</p><p> </p><p>"Do better than that, Mark, because I need you to be honest with me," Yuta pleaded, pressing their noses together, "I need to know if I'm going to get hurt again."</p><p> </p><p>"No, you won't get hurt. I promise," Mark quickly kissed the tip of Yuta's nose and then took a deep breath, forcing himself to speak again, "Something that I'd shut out for a long time, a memory of my father, came up. I'd made him a promise and, now that I remember, I'm going to keep it."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Jaemin sat across from his alpha in silence, not wanting to anger the visibly pissed off other any more and full well knowing he'd fucked up big time. He'd known he'd made a mistake up the minute he came to his senses after his heat subsided and saw Mark dragging his fiancé, <em>Yuta I think</em>, out of the room. No feeling could describe the mess of emotions swirling in his mind, but a couple were quite clear; guilt, regret, fear, and also anger. Yes, he was, in fact, fuming because his alpha couldn't put their fight aside to realize that Jaemin needed help dealing with his heat and it hurt the omega's pride to have to go to Mark while in heat like a needy slut, begging to be fucked.</p><p> </p><p>"Jaemin," the harsh dominant voice hit his ears like a blow to his cheek, "You— I can't—"</p><p> </p><p>Though he retaliated just as harshly, the omega curled in on himself in unconscious submission, "What? Did you expect me to come back to you, begging?"</p><p> </p><p>"No—"</p><p> </p><p>"Pick up a random alpha in town? Call a service?"</p><p> </p><p>"No, I just didn't think you'd cheat!" the alpha snapped, groaning and rubbing his eyes in frustration when Jaemin flinched back.</p><p> </p><p>Biting his raw quivering lip, he ignored any pain and raked his black hair to the side, "Well, then what did you expect, Jeno? I didn't have many options and Mark is the only other alpha I trust."</p><p> </p><p>The alpha's pheromones filled the small room and Jaemin could practically taste the pain they held, immediately feeling even guiltier and wanting nothing more than to take the pain away, but he was still afraid. Not showing any signs of moving, Jeno stayed seated in the chair opposite him with his arms wrapped around his knees that were pulled up to his chest and his head resting between his knees. Though Jeno's alpha side kept telling himself to get it together, faint sobs still echoed around the room, his shoulders trembled slightly, and tears slowly dripped down his cheeks.</p><p> </p><p><em>I made him cry, </em>the omega looked up in both surprise and shame, his hand falling into his lap from where it was tangled in his hair, <em>This is all my fault, I made Jeno cry. Fuck, what have I done? He... he definitely hates me now.</em> Sniffling, he tore his eyes away from Jeno's shuddering form, <em>I made the person I loved cry. I cheated on the person I love. Jeno, I—</em></p><p> </p><p>"J-jaemin," Jeno whispered, voice choppy as he kept crying, "I think w-we should take a b-break."</p><p> </p><p>Though he knew it was coming, Jaemin didn't realize just how terrible it would feel, "You're breaking up with me," his world seemed to crash down around him and all he could do was watch, knowing it was all his fault, "You're my mate, Jeno. We can't just go on fucking 'pause' like we're mere boyfriends!"</p><p> </p><p>"I need time!" the alpha voice cracked as he tried to scream, "You fucked by best friend and now you act like you had no choice! I would've helped you, Jaemin!" he looked up to stare the other in the eyes, tears pouring down his cheeks, "I would've put everything aside, agreed to anything you said, just to make sure you were okay! P-please. I n-need some time, p-please."</p><p> </p><p>"I—" not knowing what to say, Jaemin stared down at his hands and fiddled with the promise ring on his finger, "Jeno?" the alpha hummed shakily, "I'm really sorry. I messed up bad and I know it, but do you still love me? Or are you calling it off because you hate me? Do you h-hate me now, Jeno?"</p><p> </p><p>Shaking his head, Jeno roughly wiped his eyes with his sleeve, "I could never hate you."</p><p> </p><p>"Then why are we breaking up?" Jaemin slipped off his chair onto the floor and crawled to sit between Jeno's legs in perfect submission, hoping to please him, "I need you, Jeno. I really do and I don't understand why..."</p><p> </p><p>"I love you too and those feelings haven't gone away, they never will. I understand you had little choice and I should've tried to resolve things before your heat, but please try to see my side of this too. Just give me some time, please, I need some time to myself."</p><p> </p><p>Nodding, Jaemin turned around and headed back to his seat, awkwardly sitting down again and trying his best not to cry, "Okay, I see your side and I get it. Take as much time as you need."</p><p> </p><p>Jeno smiled in relief and slowly walked towards the door to leave, but paused next to the omega, leaning down and gently kissing away the tears that were dripping down his cheeks. At the touch, Jaemin couldn't hold back his sobs and curled into himself as he cried, his heart shattering into even more pieces when the alpha stood up and walked by him. <em>You were wrong, even if it's hard to say aloud,</em> he thought, <em>Be mature and accept the consequences of your actions. He has every right to ask for time and, if he wants to, end everything.</em> The retreating footsteps halted at the door, Jeno quite obviously not wanting to leave while the omega was in such a state, and Jaemin did his best to quickly pull himself together, <em>Be mature and respect his decisions.</em></p><p> </p><p>"Will you be back?" Jaemin sniffled sadly, refusing to look back at the alpha standing by the door and instead staring forwards with quivering glossy eyes, "Or are you leaving... forever?"</p><p> </p><p>"I'll be back before then end of the day," Jeno whispered with certainty and the omega perked up when he heard how soon it'd be, "I need a little time to myself, maybe for a walk in the woods or something, and there's also a couple conversations I need to have."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>sorry for the long wait, but happy valentines day! i hope you enjoy the update and thanks for all the support!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Blinking blearily as warm light from the windows streamed in, Yuta yawned and streched a little, freezing when he didn't recognize his surroundings and felt another presence behind him. <em>What— </em>he panicked, but then remembered where he was, <em>It's just Mark, we must've fallen asleep together after our talk or whatever you want to call it.</em> Slipping out from underneath the alpha's arm, he tried to stealthily walk to the balcony, but Mark noticed immediately when the bed shifted because of the loss of his weight and his sweet scent disappeared.</p><p> </p><p>"You're up early," he murmured, groaning in exhaustion and following the omega with his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>Startled by Mark's low husky morning voice, Yuta jumped and whirled around to face him, the morning light and billowing curtains framing his silhouette perfectly in the center of the window. Only humming in response and turning around to walk back to the bed, he rang the bell that hung next to the nightstand to call a servant and then leaned down to press a soft kiss to each of Mark's closing eyes. The alpha was quite obviously still tired, despite having slept nearly twelve hours, and Yuta was having none of it, wanting him to get up so they could do something together and get to know each other better.</p><p> </p><p>A servant slipped inside in complete silence and the omega jumped again when he turned around to see the other simply standing and waiting for a command. Just as he was about to speak and ask for some breakfast to be sent up, Mark, completely unaware of the servant, suddenly pulled him back down onto the bed and into a warm bearhug.</p><p> </p><p>Squeaking and slapping the alpha so he'd let him sit up, Yuta was eventually successful and cleared his throat to try to regain his already long lost composure, "Could we please have breakfast brought up?"</p><p> </p><p>"Of course, sir—" when the omega narrowed his eyes in distaste at the honorific, she was quick to correct herself, "Y-yuta, my apologies."</p><p> </p><p>"No problem at all," he smiled brightly before politely dismissing her, "Thank you."</p><p> </p><p>Hurrying from the room with pink cheeks, Yuta frowned, finding her discomfort at calling him by his actual name worrying, and then looked back at Mark, pushing him to the edge of the bed. <em>Up you get,</em> he thought when the alpha groaned in protest and continued mercilessly shoving him up, <em>Breakfast will be here soon.</em> But, flopping into his pillows, it was like Mark was physically connected to his bed and he used his entire body weight to stay glued right where he wanted to be.</p><p> </p><p>"Mark," Yuta snapped, huffing in exertion as he pushed the other up again, "C'mon, just get up and put on a shirt, so the servant doesn't assume something weird."</p><p> </p><p>"But I don't want to move," Mark whined in a not very alpha-like or kingly way that made the corner of the omega's lips twitch upwards into a suppressed smile.</p><p> </p><p>Smiling sharply, the threat fell easily from his lips, "Move or I'll make you."</p><p> </p><p>Immediately staggering to his feet, the alpha grabbed a shirt and attempted to fix his horribly tousled hair, turning around when he was done and panting like he'd just completed a marathon. Slipping out from under the covers and standing in front of Mark, Yuta adjusted his clothing and raked his finger's through the other's hair in a horrifyingly loving and domestic way. Both of them faked a gag with a fit of laughter and Yuta was then tugged over to a small table where they waited for the food to come in a sleepy silence.</p><p> </p><p>Not much later, the servant reentered with their plates of food and set them down on the table without spilling any, a considerable feat in the omega's eyes. Mark started hungrily tearing at the warm bread and he followed, but when the servant didn't leave, he looked up in confusion, quickly chewing so he could talk.</p><p> </p><p>"Is there something else?"</p><p> </p><p>Nervously pulling at the hem of her uniform, she stuttered over her words, "I was told to bring you to your room for preparations."</p><p> </p><p>"For what?" Mark and Yuta both said at the same time, exchanging equally confused looks which made it painfully clear they had no idea what was going on.</p><p> </p><p>"For the wedding," the servant explained, her eyes fixed on a spot on the floor, "Your majesty's mother gathered the officials in the middle of the night to discuss the wedding again. When your majesty didn't arrive, they continued without your guidance and decided to revert the wedding date to today."</p><p> </p><p>There was a moment of stunned silence before Mark leaned back in his chair, throwing his head back and rubbing his eyes with a groan, and Yuta began aimlessly picking at the fruit plate in front of him. <em>This is really happening,</em> the omega thought and got up, cupping Mark's cheek comfortingly before walking to the servant, <em>I suppose it doesn't really make a difference when, it's just rather sudden and also weird that Mark's mother would go behind his back to do this.</em> Following the servant as she guided him out of the alpha's room, he glanced back only once to see Mark gazing lifelessly out the window, his indifferent mask already returned.</p><p> </p><p>A part of Yuta felt deeply betrayed because just last night he'd been promised that the wedding would be in two weeks and, though it wasn't Mark's fault, the blamed still seemed to fall on the alpha's shoulders. He tried to tell himself to just move on, it didn't really matter if he got married today or two weeks from now, but when he closed the door behind him, he just felt heavy and weighed down by what was about to come. Weddings simply made him feel repulsed or, at they very least, uncomfortable; all the foods were just too sweet, everything was covered in different gaudy whites, lace was <em>inescapable</em>, and the sickly smell of fake flowers was gag inducing.</p><p> </p><p>Walking quietly down the silent halls in the sleepy court that seemed to not yet be awakened for the day, though he knew the servants had already been up for hours, he was soon at the entrance to his room and took a deep breath as he entered, steeling himself for the hell that was going to be waiting for him inside. He was right about everything he imagined to be inside; the white, lace-covered wedding suit and many bustling servants inside made him feel like he was suffocating. However, this was inevitable and Yuta entered with the head held high, refusing to give any of the servants any inclination that he might not want this as rumors spread like wildfire in the court.</p><p> </p><p>"Yuta!" a voice called out to him and he looked to the left to see Johnny and Taeil waving at him.</p><p> </p><p>"Johnny. Taeil," he breathed out, pulling both of them into a hug, "I'm so glad you're here, there's just so much going on and I'm so stressed out right now."</p><p> </p><p>Patting his back encouragingly, Taeil fussed with his messy long red hair, "It's completely normal to have pre-wedding nerves like this, Yuta, just don't let them stop you."</p><p> </p><p>Though the beta finished his sentence there, it's meaning really continued in a way that was quite obvious to the omega; <em>don't let them stop you from doing your duty and serving your country.</em> For some reason, Yuta felt himself getting quite angry, his hands curling into tight fists and his jaw clenching, and the tension in the room became so thick it could practically be sliced with a knife. Johnny seemed rather awkwardly caught between them, clearing his throat several times to make sure everyone knew he was there and then just shuffled around awkwardly.</p><p> </p><p>Sighing and collecting himself, the omega let the servants sit him in a chair and begin to do his hair as well as make some final adjustments to the suit, "Would you mind telling me some more about yourself, Johnny? I won't lie," he let out a polite laugh, dissolving most of the tension with ease, "I'm a bit curious."</p><p> </p><p>"Of course!" Johnny jumped on the opportunity and was obviously more comfortable with sharing things about himself which Yuta counted as a win, "Well, you know that I left the kingdom and took a break, but I suppose I should tell you the reason behind it all. I lost a lot of people I cared about," his entire posture slumped visibly and he took a deep calming breath, "My boyfriend, who I was planning to marry, left me because I couldn't control myself and had someone executed for harassing him. He ran off with my best friend."</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry, that's terrible—"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shaking his head, the other cut Yuta off, "I met him again when I left the kingdom to take a break from things and he seemed so... happy. They're both together now, happily married and mated and, though they don't know yet, I could sense a little one was on the way. When they saw me, they pitied me and offered to let me stay with them, so I did and they had me join them."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You mean," the omega gulped a bit before rephrasing what he thought Johnny had just told him, wincing when a servant pinned his hair a little too harshly, "They had you join them for a threesome? Like sex?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, I went from a boyfriend to a husband's best friend who gets pulled in for threesomes like twice a week. It's sad, isn't it? I used to love Taeyong so much, but now I'm just an extra dick for </span>
  <span>when he wants to spice up his sex life with Jaehyun."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Letting his secondary gender control him a bit, Yuta leapt forward to comfort the alpha, ignoring the servants' protests and requests for him to sit still, "I'm so sorry, I just don't know what else to say."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"The worst thing is I can't find it in me to say 'no' or to hate them because they're too nice. They got me a gift on their anniversary like who does that?" the alpha choked back a sob.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A gift on their anniversary?</span>
  </em>
  <span> "What?" he asked confused, semi-forcefully guided back into his seat, "What was the gift?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lifting his hand and pulling something from under his shirt, the alpha showed him a thin chain necklace with a peculiar ornament hanging loosely on it. It was strangely familiar and he soon recognized it as being made at a famous jeweler in his own kingdom, one that was known for making personalized and very expensive couple jewelry. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What is that on it though?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Yuta frowned, gently pulling the necklace closer and squinting at the ornament decorating it, the twisted gold band practically shining, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Is that? ...oh my god.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Johnny, I know you probably won't believe me, but on your necklace, there's an infinity band. In my kingdom, where this was made, infinity bands are the most popular type of… couple jewelry."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sitting upright immediately, Johnny whirled around to face him with a confused look on his face, "What?" he looked down at the ring, examining it more closely, "Does it mean something?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pausing for a second when he was brought to his feet, Yuta let the head dressmaker change him quickly into the suit, wincing at how intentionally tight it was, meant to accentuate his features. <em>I feel like a fucking doll</em>, he thought dully, not bothering to fake a smile as he'd need all his energy for the actual ceremony, <em>Probably look like one too. Also probably look sad and upset.</em> Taeil came up to him and patted his back gently, mumbling an apology for earlier, but it only made him wonder, <em>Where's Winwin? I know he's mad, but I still thought he'd come.</em></span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clearing his throat, he turned back to Johnny to finally answer his question, "It's a wedding ring."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The alpha seemed startled, staring at his ring again before exclaiming in disbelief, “You’re joking.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not,” Yuta said with the first genuine smile he’d had since he'd realized this was his wedding day, tucking the necklace away again and adjusting Johnny’s suit jacket to remove any wrinkles, “You better catch that bouquet.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Johnny and Taeil had been quickly shooed from the room by the servants who were now fussing over every last detail, but Yuta felt none of the excited pre-wedding jitters. <em>Sure, I didn't expect to feel that excited, but I,</em> he sighed and dismissed everyone with a wave of his hand, watching them leave hesitantly with worry scrawled across their faces, <em>I thought I'd maybe look in the mirror and be happy with how I'd looked.</em> The door clicked shut behind the last servant and he stumbled over to a nearby chair, collapsing into the plush pillows and rubbing a sweaty hand over his face. Silent shudders shook his body and he didn't try fighting them, not bothering to push his emotions down and fake a stupid smile like he did every day, <em>There's no one here to see anyways.</em></p><p> </p><p>"Why do I hate who I see? Why do I hate who I've become?" the omega mumbled, wiping away the tears that blurred his eyes and trying to take deep calming breaths, "Why can't I just be happy like any other omega would?"</p><p> </p><p>Looking around he hoped to distract himself, but the dressing room walls were covered in mirrors and all he could see was his stark white reflection filling every corner of his vision. His pristine white suit jacket, the dressmaker had explained that there wasn't a shirt for fashion purposes, was now slightly crinkled and the two buttons keeping it together were straining. The waterfall of embroidered red roses on his left shoulder looked like a dark stain of blood, the delicate red lace choker felt more like a dog collar than style, and his ruby painted nails glistened with tears. Even when he looked down, he couldn't escape it, the snowy white pants with a few falling embroidered roses and white shoes were like heavy weights grounding him in place.</p><p> </p><p>Locked in a room of mirrors reflecting every part he hated most about himself, Yuta felt himself falling deeper than ever, his hands trembling uncontrollably and his legs so weak he couldn't stand. The stark dressing room was bland and empty, but for the chair he was in and a single stool, leaving nothing to comfort or soothe him. As minutes trickled by, he became more desperate, realizing that no one was coming to save him, and roughly raked his nails through his hair, ignoring the sparks of pain it caused.</p><p> </p><p><em>Help, help,</em> he begged, sweet scent turning sour because of his distress, <em>Please, help,</em> "Help."</p><p> </p><p>The only answer his pleas received were resounding silence and he felt himself begin to choke on the lumps of air in his throat, skin paling and lips turning blue as he desperately struggled to breathe. Grasping his painfully constricting chest, the omega wheezed and let out a cry, falling from the chair to his knees and reaching towards the door in hopes of there being someone coming to help. Just as he was about to give up, he faintly registered a familiar scent from outside and gathered all his remaining strength to scream as loud as he could; limbs shaking feebly in exhaustion and pain, tears pouring down his deathly pale cheeks, spit pooling in his mouth and wetting his cold blue lips.</p><p> </p><p>Smelling the scent turn panicked and hearing both the door open and footsteps running into the room, Yuta frantically clutched his throat to try to convey to whoever had come in what was wrong. Immediately, warm hands hoisted him up and he was pulled onto the other's lap on the chair, sweet murmurs reaching his ears in an attempt to ease his panic. Though it was slowly working to calm him, the other wasn't comforted by his breathless gasps and firmly pressed their lips together, pushing air into the omega's lungs and forcing him to breathe.</p><p> </p><p>Startling at the sudden kiss and recognizing who it was by their taste, Yuta pulled back, shakily regaining his breath, and mumbled, "Winwin."</p><p> </p><p>"Shhh," Winwin cooed gently, pumping his stomach to make sure he continued breathing, "Breathe, okay? Just focus on breathing."</p><p> </p><p>Doing as he was told, he took another shaky breath, grasping onto the other's shirt to steady himself, and buried his face in the alpha's neck to hide from the mirrors who were still glaring harshly at him. Thankfully, Winwin didn't push him away like he'd expected, they weren't exactly on the best of terms after he'd gotten closer to Mark, and instead brought him closer, nuzzling his scent gland softly. Calming down quickly, Yuta didn't want to panic again, so kept his eyes firmly closed, scared of how he'd react to seeing his much hated reflection again.</p><p> </p><p>"You want to tell me what's wrong?" the alpha drew back a little and nudged him carefully, not wanting to push too hard but trying to understand.</p><p> </p><p>Gesturing to the mirrors covering every surface of the room, he managed a few words in response, "I hate... mirrors, everything."</p><p> </p><p>Coaxing him, Winwin gently lifted his chin so they were looking into each other's eyes, "Why do you hate the mirrors, hmm? Is there something wrong with them?"</p><p> </p><p>"I don't like who I see," Yuta sniffled, not able to prevent his tears from spilling yet again, "I'm a perfect little omega husband, a stupid useless doll—"</p><p> </p><p>Clamping a hand over his mouth, the alpha cut him off quickly, though he struggled with his words, "You're far from that Yuta, you're... look I'm not Taeil, he'd be better at this, but I know you. What you just said is anything but who you are. It may seem like that, but this whole ordeal isn't making you weak, it's making you stronger."</p><p> </p><p>Nodding and smiling briefly, he felt too tired to respond and fell back onto the other's chest, already feeling better from the words of encouragement. <em>I missed you,</em> the omega wished he could whisper, feeling Winwin hoist him up and carry him from the dressing room to his bedroom, <em>Everything felt incomplete without you here and I know it's my fault you're distant, but don't leave. Please don't leave me.</em> Bringing them onto the bedroom balcony because he knew how much Yuta loved the outdoors, Winwin leaned up against the railing, not moving even when light droplets of rain began to fall from the clouds.</p><p> </p><p>When they finally headed back inside, the omega's hair was damp and his cheeks were wet again, the rain having long washed away his tears. Stepping out of the alpha's embrace, he brushed his hair in an attempt to fix his disheveled appearance, but his outfit was no doubt ruined beyond his ability to repair which made him strangely happy. Undoing the buttons and getting rid of the suffocating suit jacket, he collapsed on the bed and watched as Winwin stepped out into the hall to call back the servants, carefully explaining what'd happened.</p><p> </p><p>Surprisingly, the head dressmaker wasn't angry at all, coming inside with quiet footsteps and gently cupping Yuta's face to show him everything was alright before bustling around giving orders to the others. In shockingly little time, the dressmaker had embroidered a few red roses onto a plain white dress shirt and two other servants had tailored a pair of black slacks to his exact size. Standing up and mumbling apologies for the incident that'd ruined all their hard work, the omega was quickly hushed and then guided into another, much more loose and comfortable, outfit. Asking him many times if everything felt okay, the hair stylist brushed his hair softly and tied it into a simple bun, thankfully not fussing too much and making another uncomfortable braid.</p><p> </p><p>This time, when a servant handed him a single hand mirror, Yuta wasn't afraid to look. The flowy dress shirt with beautiful red roses, plain black pants, and loosely tied hair felt so much more comfortable and, more importantly, it felt like him. With a smile of appreciation and many thanks, he let Winwin and the servants lead him out of the room to the wedding venue, all of them rushing quickly through the halls as they tried not to be much later than they already were.</p><p> </p><p>---</p><p> </p><p>With a heavy sigh, Mark looked up when he heard the door open and watched his personal servant come into the room with his wedding outfit and place it on an extra stool. No other servants followed the annoyingly happy sunny beta of 20 years as he specifically kept little staff close to him, well aware of the rumours servants constantly spread and not trusting anyone but his closest friends. <em>Well friends to me at least,</em> he thought, standing up as the other approached, <em>It's hard to tell if they think the same when most of the people here are practically dressed in lies.</em></p><p> </p><p>"Are you excited?" his servant asked as he arranged Mark's outfit while the alpha took off his casual clothing, "It's a big day."</p><p> </p><p>Faking a polite smile even though he knew the other wouldn't be fooled, he answered with a soft tone that he only used with his friends and now Yuta too, "It's happening, Haechan. Nothing I can do about it."</p><p> </p><p>Frowning at his response, Haechan sighed too, his sunny smile dropping from his face, "So 'no' then," handing him a shirt, he patted his shoulder, "Prince Yuta seems nice at least."</p><p> </p><p>"He is nice, it's just that neither of us were ready to get married today," Mark groaned and slipped on the button up the beta had handed him, "But mother just had to get involved."</p><p> </p><p>Giving the alpha space to change without disruption, Haechan turned away and began organizing products for doing Mark's hair as he was both Mark's dressmaker and hair stylist. The alpha easily tugged on the perfectly fitted black pants, tucking in the shirt, and he went ahead with throwing on the suit jacket too, glancing at himself in the large mirror and exhaling deeply. <em>What am I even doing?</em> he thought, eyeing the perfectly fitted suit and embroidered red rose that seemed to be growing out of his chest pocket in palpable distaste. Stepping back towards him, the beta straightened his jacket, flattening out any visible creases, and began combing his tangled hair, making Mark wince slightly in pain as he tugged at the many knots.</p><p> </p><p>"You know, she's just trying to do what's best for you, Mark. Sometimes she just doesn't know what you want," Haechan whispered, almost as if he was afraid to say it.</p><p> </p><p>Smiling reassuring down at the beta to try to make him comfortable, Mark disagreed, "Maybe. Or she has some sort of agenda, she always has one of those, I honestly think she likes sticking her nose into others' business."</p><p> </p><p>They were cut off by a knock at the door and someone entered shortly after without Mark's permission which made him bristle and growl aggressively at the intruder. Obviously the newcomer was a friend, no one else would be so careless, and Haechan pressed a hand to the alpha's chest to hold him back from doing anything he would regret. Groaning when a strong alpha scent hit his nose, Mark turned to face the opposite direction, not wanting to deal with this right now, though he knew he deserved everything that was coming. Relaxing slightly as the beta quickly styled his hair but still staying alert, he chose to ignore the other alpha and, when Haechan finished, he dismissed him with a simple 'thank you'.</p><p> </p><p>As soon as the door closed behind the beta, the other alpha spoke with a harsh tone, not even bothering to hide his anger, "We need to talk, Mark."</p><p> </p><p>"It seems like we do, Jeno," he replied, still facing away and not gracing the other with his full attention.</p><p> </p><p>"Look at me, you motherfucker," Jeno hissed, his scent flooding the room and making the other's nose wrinkle in disgust.</p><p> </p><p>With the most bored and disinterested face he could muster, Mark turned to face, quite literally, the consequences of his actions, "What do you want from me?"</p><p> </p><p>"How..." all of the anger seemed to wash away when he saw Mark and his scent turned from aggressive to sad and pained, "How could you?"</p><p> </p><p>Staring at each other in silence, both alpha's seemed at a loss for words; one feeling betrayed to an unimaginable extent and the other treading carefully to try to save his neck. It was when Jeno started sniffling and his eyes became glossy that Mark realized just how much he'd fucked up and the cold impassive wall he'd built to defend himself crumbled to dust.</p><p> </p><p>"I trusted you," Jeno's voice broke as he tried to hold back his sobs, "I never... I thought you were my friend, but you go behind my back," he was screaming hoarsely now, but still no tears fell, "And sleep with my mate!"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm sorry," he answered dumbly, knowing nothing would ever change what he did.</p><p> </p><p>Growling in frustration, the other clenched his fists, his eyes burning with renewed anger, "Well, sorry isn't good enough."</p><p> </p><p>In an instant, Jeno flew across the room and swung a punch, but Mark didn't even bother trying to avoid it, accepting it because deep down he knew he deserved it. <em>The red blood will match the rose,</em> he thought sarcastically, trying to distract himself from the pain that shot through him with every anger-fuelled punch the other landed on his cheek or chest. Just when he felt like he was about to snap and fight back, he saw the tears pouring down Jeno's cheeks and instead scratched at the floor, forcing himself to lay still. <em>I deserve this.</em> After a minute or so, the other stopped, resting his forehead on Mark's shoulder and falling apart into a fit of uncontrollable sobs that racked his body.</p><p> </p><p>"Stupid, isn't it?" Jeno said once his sobs had died down, panting in exhaustion, "After everything you've done, I still care enough to avoid your jaw and nose when throwing a punch. Wouldn't want to ruin that pretty face of yours, huh?"</p><p> </p><p>Wiping the tears off his cheeks <span>unceremoniously</span>, he got up and headed towards the door without another word, leaving Mark covered in bruises and lying on the ground in a small pool of his own blood.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>just a quick heads up, there are some religious themes (specifically Christianity) in this chapter and they are purely from my perspective. i'm in no way an expert on religion and i don't mean to offend anyone; i wrote most of it on a day when I wasn't feeling too well and those parts might reflect that</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sighing in exhaustion, Yuta, Winwin, and the servants slowed to a relaxed walk as they arrived at the conservatory where the wedding was going to take place momentarily and were quickly shown to a back room before anyone could see them. All that was really left to do now was wait for his que to walk down the aisle; apparently Mark still hadn't shown up and, from the shouts of panic among the servants, no one knew where he was. <em>Did what we both wanted to do,</em> he thought sarcastically, slumping further into the chair with no care for his outfit as the minutes drained by, <em>Ran away and is never coming back.</em></p><p> </p><p>When the door slammed open, they all practically jumped out of their skins and turned to see a royally pissed off Johnny charging in with an apologetic Taeil right behind him, though the omega could tell that Taeil was also quite mad. There was nothing Taeil, Winwin, or Yuta could hide from each other, years of knowing each other made sure of that, and it was always something Yuta took comfort in, <em>Two people who can't lie to me even if they tried.</em> Standing up and approaching the two, he couldn't help but chuckle at how Johnny had just stopped two steps in the room, visibly fuming and letting off extremely aggressive pheromones, and Taeil was helplessly stuck behind him, trying to get by without touching the alpha yet failing almost adorably.</p><p> </p><p>"What's going on?" he asked, taking Taeil's hand and guiding him into the room, not caring if he jostled Johnny a little, "You two seem... bothered," Winwin snickered from his seat and the omega couldn't help smile widely, holding back a laugh, "Very bothered."</p><p> </p><p>"Mark hasn't shown yet," Taeil answered simply, glancing over at Winwin, clearly worried about why he hadn't seen his friend in so long.</p><p> </p><p>Pulling him into a hug and then nodding, Yuta gave the beta his permission to run over to Winwin, something he hated doing but Taeil was insistent upon, before turning back to Johnny. The older alpha hadn't moved an inch, just standing there with his fists clenched and his pheromones going off the charts, and the omega tried to be understanding as there was obviously something going on that he didn't quite understand. Stepping forwards and grabbing Johnny's hands, he pried them open and softened his scent, trying to help release some of the other's pent up tension.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey, Johnny," he whispered gently, his breath ghosting the alpha's cheek, "Talk to me."</p><p> </p><p>Though it took a couple minutes, Johnny finally started talking, "Sorry, don't know what came over me. I just..."</p><p> </p><p>Trailing off with a groan, the alpha looked down and tried to gather his thoughts into a reasonable explanation, but even he didn't know why he was so mad or why he'd come to Yuta, his brother's fiance, of all people for comfort. It was a mix of concern for his seemingly missing brother, anger at how Mark was neglecting all his duties, and guilt as Johnny thought of all he was going through because his big brother dumped all the responsibility on him. Johnny knew firsthand that the crown Mark wore was cold, spearing anyone who dared get too close, and painful, digging into the bearer's scalp with sharper spikes each day and drawing blood from wounds that couldn't be healed. Yet even knowing what he'd be leaving behind, he'd tried to find himself an escape by running away and forgotten that he was the older brother, the one who was supposed to be a good example and offer his younger siblings protection.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm worried for him," Johnny settled on, stepping back to create a proper distance between Yuta and him, "And I'm also mad because I," he took a deep breath, "I know what it's like to be waiting on someone and they never come."</p><p> </p><p>He'd waited on Taeyong for hours, just drumming his fingers on the armrest of his throne and trying not to let his carefully crafted exterior shatter, and was only torn away by his mother ordering the guards to drag him to his room for bed. Everyone kept telling him that he was better than that peasant omega whore and that sleep would do him good, but when morning came, his bed was empty and his window was creaking in the cold winter wind.</p><p> </p><p>Grasping his hands, the omega reassured him, "The servants will find him eventually but," glancing down at Johnny's twitching fingers, he smiled teasingly, "You could burn off some of your extra energy by helping them out."</p><p> </p><p>Eyes lighting up with newfound energy, the alpha certainly didn't need to be told twice, leaving a quick kiss on Yuta's hand and running out of the room, off to search for his brother with an anxious yet also energetic spring in his step. Watching Johnny go, he wished he could too, but even if he could order the servants to let him go, he knew Taeil would never allow it because some myth said that if the grooms saw each other in their wedding robes before that event it would bring bad luck. <em> Even the spirits are against me, </em> he thought, taking a seat and waiting as patiently as he could, <em> It's honestly laughable, my clothing is controlling me because of an old wives tale people for some reason believe. Tradition and etiquette are the heavy chains around my wrists and neck, holding me down as I slowly drown in that fountain of blood.</em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>---</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Mark didn't want to move, his cold bruised body was strangely comfortable on the cold stone floor and the sticky feeling of his blood seeping through his clothing didn't bother him as much as it should. His previously perfect wedding outfit was speckled with droplets of blood and messily splayed out around him; his pale skin was dotted with many dark bruises; his hair was slicked with sweat and flopped onto the ground around his head like a halo; his iron crown was covering in dripping warm wet blood and lying a couple feet to his side. Feeble sunlight from the window was reaching in the room to where the alpha lay, but didn't even offer him any warmth to flush his cheeks or revive his cool limbs.</p><p> </p><p>In a way, it was beautiful. Laying there completely unmoving with his hands resting by his sides, covered in red blood and dark bruises, hair resembling a halo around his head, and slim form framed by a box of cool sunlight, Mark looked somewhat like a fallen angel. <em>Maybe, in another world, </em><em>I fought a long hard war with God and the other angels by my side. Maybe we came out victorious and he called me up on a golden stage. But, maybe I had made one too many mistakes along the way. Maybe, instead of congratulating me, he pushed me backwards and I tumbled through the misty clouds.</em></p><p> </p><p>"And what?" he whispered hoarsely, barely understanding his own fantasy, "They all just watched me fall, watched me hurt?</p><p> </p><p>Lifted a weak shaking hand, Mark brushed a stray hair out of his blurring vision, "I didn't utter a word when you crowned me king at barely fourteen, I didn't talk back when you gave my hand to a foreign prince I'd never met, I didn't complain when you sent me off to fight war after war, I didn't cry when you let all my friends be murdered in front of me, I didn't hesitate when you told me to kill all those people.</p><p> </p><p>"I did everything you asked of me! I did everything you wanted and yet I'm still wrong! Yet I still fall," the tears seemed unstoppable now and he angrily shouted up at the tall dark ceiling, "I lost everything. Everything!</p><p> </p><p>"Break the rules and I get punished; follow them and I fall all the same. What does it take to please you?! What does it take to win one of your stupid games?!"</p><p> </p><p>The pain-filled sobs that racked through his chest were deep and truly pitiful, but Mark didn't spare a thought to his already destroyed facade of a strong impassive king, <em>There's no one here to lie to but myself</em>. Part of him wished that he could lie to himself and pretend he was strong, but even after all he'd sacrificed so much to be simply enough, here he was on his cold bedroom floor, still alone and still hopelessly broken. Looking back on all he'd tried to do and who he'd tried to become, Mark could still only see the terrified fourteen year old boy sitting on a throne too big for his small body, wearing an iron crown too heavy for his head, and making decisions about things he barely understood.</p><p> </p><p>Sniffling as his eyes ran dry and realizing that he had no more tears left to cry, he screwed his eyes shut tightly, "I'm so," he whispered in between heavy pants, "So," <em>pant</em>, "Tired," <em>pant</em>, "So tired."</p><p> </p><p>Despite it only being morning, all his energy seemed to have run out and, even after sleeping the best he'd had in years because Yuta had been there next to him, he was struggling to keep his eyelids open. Mark knew he shouldn't be tired, the sun was shining and the castle was filled with life, but it was like he didn't have any control over his body anymore, if he did he would never have allowed himself to break down and shout and cry. Strangely enough, it was somewhat relaxing and relieving to not be in control for once, to not have everything resting on his shoulders and to not have to make all the important decisions. Thinking sleep would do him some good, he let his stiff posture soften and melted into the floor, fitting perfectly into the imperfections of the cold rigid stone as his eyes fluttered shut.</p><p> </p><p>But god didn't appear to be in a forgiving mood, or at least not towards Mark, and though he was most definitely no longer in reality, the court surroundings had disappeared into thin air, he wasn't sleeping either. Instead, it seemed like he was just floating through an endless darkness, tantalizing close to the relief sleep would give but never fully reaching it, his dry chuckles echoed through the void and unshed tears burned his eyes. <em>I want to go home, I'm tired, </em>his thoughts were scrambled and repeated the same things over and over like a motto, like a prayer, <em>I want to go home. I'm so tired. I want a home. Home. Tired. Sleep. I— I want my papa.</em></p><p> </p><p>As soon as he thought it, it seemed to control his every action; yanking him from the void back into reality, pulling him up onto unsteady feet, rushing him down the dark back passages to the garden, throwing him into the labyrinth, and stopping him when he reached the fountain. Panting from exhaustion, he fell to his knees in front of the pool of pinkish water that was glimmering under the cool rays of the winter sun and leaned his chest against the edge, dragging his hand through the still water and causing ripples to form around his long fingers.</p><p> </p><p>"It's more peaceful then I remember," he muttered to himself, thinking back on the last times he came here.</p><p> </p><p>Most recently was when he'd been following Yuta and had slammed into the omega as he was running away, ending with him having to carry the unconscious omega out of the maze to the steps of the garden where Johnny found him. There was also the evening before Yuta had arrived when he'd needed some piece of mind, some space to think, and his feet had brought him to the fountain on autopilot, wanting the numb floaty feeling to disappear. Lastly, there was thirteen years ago when he'd run into his father hiding behind the fountain while they were playing in the maze like they always did... Shuddering violently, he tried to force the memory back down, but it only bubbled up again, refusing to leave him alone and let him heal.</p><p> </p><p>At seven, Mark was short and small for his age, more agile and fast than strong, and quite innocent, hidden behind his father and Johnny who shielded him from the horrors of the world. His father fought the wars and expanded the kingdom while his mother was busy with the intricate politics and keeping up the perfect image, but both of them made time for him and Johnny, <em>She also smiled more back then.</em> Hide-and-seek in the maze was his favorite game and, when there wasn't a war or important military meeting, Mark and his father played it together every evening under the multicolored sky and setting sun.</p><p> </p><p>The day it all went wrong was an ordinary day, just like any other except maybe the sunset was particularly vibrant and maybe the look in his father's eyes was a bit darker, a bit lost.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Young Mark ran as quickly as he could, trying to find his father who was hiding somewhere in the vast maze, but after a long time with no success, he was exhausted and wound up at the fountain. Hearing breathy gasps and mumbled 'please no's that meant someone had to be near, he quietly sneaked around and, finally seeing him, excitedly jumped on his father who was laying underneath the single cement bench. They rolled out into the open and tussled a little like they always did, but something about this fight was different; his father was rougher, pinning him to the ground with narrowed eyes and angry pants, and for the first time, young Mark was scared.</em>
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  <em>Kicking upwards as strong as he could with his legs, he managed to slip away and whirled around to see someone he barely recognized, his father resembled a crazed beast and looked at him like he was a true enemy. The only other times young Mark had seen him like this was when he just returned from a particularly devastating and brutal war, but his mother always ushered his father away and ordered him back to his room. Even though the man in front of him was his father, his gut knew he was no safer than if the man were with a skilled thief or a trained assassin and, when his father lunged towards him with a broken battle cry, he turned on his heels and ran for his life.</em>
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  <em>But young Mark was small for his age, his short legs were already exhausted, and he was no match for a battle hardened warrior like his father. In seconds, he was pulled to the ground and could only kick and scream for help, knowing that his weak blows did barely anything and no one could hear his screams from the center of the elaborate labyrinth he was trapped in.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"Papa!" he screamed, tears running down his dirty cheeks as he stared upwards in horror, "You're scaring me, please! I'm not the enemy! I promise, please, I'm not the enemy!"</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Snapping out of his frenzied state when he heard his desperate cries, his father quickly pulled him into a hug and brought them both up to sit on the edge of the fountain, combing rough hands through young Mark's messy hair and murmuring gentle apologies, "I'm sorry, Markie. I'm so sorry."</em>
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  <em>The words hit deaf ears as young Mark panicked, feeling no more safe than seconds ago and now trapped in who he saw as a villain's strong clutches, and he kept thrashing and screaming with all his might. The villain's scattered attempts to try to calm him were useless and, when he sensed the villain's grip had loosened, he made his move, pushing away with all the strength his body could muster. Landing on his back in the grass with a thud, he heard the loud splash of water and the sickening crack, but his mind and body refused to move, to turn and look at what he knew he'd done.</em>
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  <em>He wanted to ignore it, to trick himself into believing it hadn't happened, to imagine that they'd never played hide-and-seek tonight and he was tucked in his bed while his father was at yet another meeting. His body couldn't shake in its crumpled position, his every bone and muscle aching painfully, and even the tears couldn't fall down his cheeks, only stinging at his eyes and blurring his unsteady vision.</em>
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  <em>"Papa?" young Mark called out, his last strand of innocence and hope waiting for a warm reassuring response.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>There was none.</em>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>also, if you saw me accidentally publish chapter 14 while i was working on it, no you didn't</p>
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